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CORNELL 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 


JACOB  H.  SCHIFF 

Endowment  for  Studies 

IN 

Human  Civilization 


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Biographical  History 


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BIOGRAPHICAL  HISTORY. 


JUDGE  WILLIAM    H.   ROBEKTSON. 

The  distinguished  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  memoir  had 
passed  his  seventy-fifth  mile-post  when  death  released  him  from  this  mortal 
life,  on  December  6,  1898,  and  could  look  back  with  just  pride  over  a  public 
career  replete  with  activity  and  usefulness.  No  one  who  has  been  a  citizen 
of  White  Plains  is  more  deserving  of  honorable  mention  in  the  present  work 
than  he. 

Mr.  Robertson  was  born  at  the  family  homestead  in  Bedford,  Westches- 
ter county,  October  10,  1823,  a  son  of  Henry  Robertson.  His  boyhood  was 
spent  on  his  father's  farm,  and  his  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  district  in  which  they  lived  and  at  Union  Academy,  in  Bedford. 
For  some  time  he  taught  school  in  Bedford  and  Lewisboro.  Early  selecting 
the  law  for  his  profession,  he  pursued  its  study  in  the  office  of  Judge  Robert 
S.  Hart,  in  Bedford,  and  in  1847  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  1854  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Odle  Close,  under  the  firm  name  of  Close  &  Rob- 
ertson, for  the  practice  of  law,  and  this  association  continued  until  his  death. 

The  Judge's  taste  for  politics  had  its  beginning  while  he  was  yet  in  his 
'teens.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  Harrison  campaign  of  1840,  in  1844 
cast  his  first  presidential  vote,  for  Henry  Clay,  and  the  next  spring  was  elected 
to  the  position  of  superintendent  of  town  schools,  which  he  filled  for  several 
years.  He  was  four  times  supervisor  of  Bedford  and  twice  chairman  of  the 
board  of  supervisors. 

His  legislative  career  began  in  1848,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  assem- 
bly, and  he  was  re-elected  the  following  year.  In  1853  he  was  chosen  to  the 
state  senate,  where  he  at  once  took  a  prominent  position.  Among  the  public 
acts,  he  introduced  a  bill  for  establishing  the  department  of  public  instruc- 
tion, which  may  justly  be  considered  one  of  the  most  important  events  in  the 
educational  history  of  the  state.  In  1855  he  was  elected  county  judge,  was 
twice  re-elected  to  that  responsible  position,  and  thus  filled  the  office  twelve 
years.  He  served  six  years  as  inspector  of  the  Seventh  Brigade  of  New  York 
militia,  was  chairman  of  the  military  committee  appointed  by  Governor  Mor- 
gan in  1862  to  raise  and  organize  state  troops  in  the  eighth  senatorial  district, 
and  was  commissioned  to  superintend  the  draft  in  Westchester  county.  In 
i860  he  was  a  member  of  the  electoral  college,  and  voted  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln.   He  supported  him  again  in  the  national  convention  of  1864,  and  during,. 


482  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

his  whole  administration  was  one  of  his  most  loyal  and  faithful  adherents. 
In  1866  he  was  elected  a  representative  to  the  fortieth  congress,  and  whiie  a. 
member  of  that  body  he  voted  for  the  impeachment  of  President  Johnson, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  the  legislation  which  led  to  the  restoration  of  the 
southern  states  to  the  Union. 

Judge  Robertson's  second  term  of  service  in  the  state  senate  began  m 
1872  and  continued  without  interruption  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  during 
the  last  eight  of  which  he  was  president  pro  tevi.  of  that  body.  He  served 
as  chairman  of  the  committees  on  commerce  and  navigation,  rules,  literature 
and  judiciary,  being  for  eight  years  at  the  head  of  the  judiciary  com- 
mittee, a  place  of  great  responsibility,  which  he  ably  filled.  In  1876  he 
was  one  of  three  gentlemen  who,  at  the  request  of  the  president,  visited 
Florida  to  supervise  the  counting  of  the  votes  for  the  office  of  president.  On 
two  occasions — in  1872  and  1879 — the  personal  and  political  friends  of  Judge 
Robertson  made  a  strong  effort  to  place  him  in  nomination  for  governor  of 
New  York,  and,  while  he  was  each  time  defeated,  the  support  given  him  was 
indeed  flattering. 

In  February,  1880,  Judge  Robertson  was  appointed  a  delegate  to  repre- 
sent his  state  in  the  national  convention  to  be  held  in  Chicago  in  June.  A 
vote  was  passed  at  the  state  convention  instructing  its  delegates  to  vote  as  a 
unit,  the  purpose  being  to  enable  the  majority  of  the  delegates  to  carry  it  en 
masse  for  General  Grant.  Soon  after  the  adjournment  of  the  state  conven- 
tion. Judge  Robertson  published  a  letter  in  the  Albany  Journal,  in  which  he 
repudiated  the  principles  of  the  unit  rule,  and  declared  for  Blaine.  The  let- 
ter attracted  attention  throughout  the  country  and  gave  its  author  great 
prominence  in  the  opposition  to  the  "third-term"  movement.  It  is  general- 
ly conceded  that  it  was  his  leadership  and  organizing  ability,  more  than  those 
of  any  other  man,  that  broke  the  power  of  the  "unit"  rule  in  Republican 
conventions  and  defeated  the  "third-term  "  candidate. 

In  March,  1881,  Mr.  Robertson  was  nominated  by  President  Garfield  for 
collector  of  the  port  of  New  York.  His  political  acts  having  been  distaste- 
ful to  the  senators  from  his  state,  they  demanded  the  withdrawal  of  his  nom- 
ination by  the  president.  This  being  refused,  a  bitter  contest  followed, 
which  was  ended  by  the  resignation  of  the  senators  in  May  and  the  comfirm- 
ation  of  Mr.  Robertson  soon  afterward.  He  did  not,  however,  assume  the 
collectorship  until  the  first  of  August,  and  the  legislature  (he  being  in  the 
senate)  did  not  adjourn  until  late  in  July.  His  judicial  and  legislative  ex- 
perience had  prepared  him  for   the   most  difficult   duty  of  the  position, the 

consideration  and  decision  of  intricate  points  of  revenue  law, — and  he  dis- 
charged its  obligations  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  importers  and  with  the  al- 
most universal  commendation  of  the  public  press. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  488 

Mr.  Robertson  was  conspicuous  and  influential  in  local  and  state  con- 
ventions for  many  years,  took  an  active  part  in  the  national  conventions  of 
1864,  1876,  1880  and  1884,  and  was  for  fifteen  years  a  member  of  the  Re- 
publican state  committee.  In  his  political  life  he  was  remarkably  successful, 
having  never  been  defeated  when  a  candidate  before  the  people,  although  his 
principal  canvasses  have  been  made  in  a  district  in  which  the  party  majority 
■was  against  him,  He  achieved  this  result  by  the  strength  of  his  personal 
■character,  his  fidelity  to  friends,  his  sincere  and  uniform  courtesy,  his  unques- 
tioned integrity  and  his  legal  and  business  ability.  He  possessed,  in  an  un- 
usual degree,  the  "genius  of  common  sense,"  an  acute  knowledge  of  human 
nature  and  thorough  self-control.  He  was  also  of  a  literary  taste  and  of 
studious  habits,  and  valued  no  less  than  his  political  honors  the  degree  of 
LL.  D.,  which  was  conferred  upon  him   by  Williams  College  in  1876. 

In  1865  Judge  Robertson  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Ballard,  a  daughter  of 
Hon.  Horatio  Ballard,  who  was  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Cortland  county.  New 
York,  and  well  known  throughout  the  state.  In  1869  he  built  the  house  at 
Katonah  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  In  the  community  where  he 
lived  he  was  a  judicious  and  willing  counselor  of  all  who  sought  his  advice, 
a  liberal  contributor  to  religious  and  charitable  objects,  a  public-spirited  citi- 
zen and  a  valued  friend. 


GEORGE  N.    RIGBY. 


The  gentleman  whose  name  furnishes  the  title  to  this  brief  biographical 
•sketch  is  a  rising  lawyer  and  popular  citizen  of  Yonkers,  still  yojng  in  years 
and  with  worthy  achievements  which  foreshadow  his  future  success.  He 
received  his  primary  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Yonkers  and  was  grad- 
uated from  the  high  school  in  1891.  He  was  graduated  in  the  electrical 
engineering  course  at  Cornell  University  in  1895,  and  in  law  from  the  New 
York  Law  School  in  1897.  Thus  equipped  educationally,  and  endowed  with 
first-class  talents  intellectually,  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Yonkers,  determined  that  his  career  at  the  bar  should  be  a  successful  one, 
and  he  is  amply  meeting  the  expectations  of  his  most  enthusiastic  well- 
wishers. 

He  early  took  an  interest  in  political  affairs  and  views  national  questions 
•from  a  Republican  point  of  view.  He  is  financial  secretary  of  the  Republic- 
an Club  of  Yonkers,  was  secretary  of  the  assembly  convention  of  1898,  and 
has  been  a  delegate  to  county,  judicial  and  various  other  conventions.  He 
has  ably  filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  since  November,  1896. 

Mr.  Rigby  is  a  member  of  the  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  and  other  college 
iraternities,  and  of  the  Cornell  University  Club,  of  New  York. 


484  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

He  was  married  April  6,  1897,  to  Miss  Maude  Lawrence,  of  Yonkers, 
daughter  of  William  Fred  and  Mary  (Weddle)  Lawrence. 

Franklin  H.  Rigby,  Mr.  Rigby's  father,  is  a  prominent  resident  of  Yon- 
ers,  and  is  connected  with  the  Prudential  Life  Insurance  Company  in  New 
York  city.  He  married  Mary  Mockridge,  daughter  of  George  N.  and  Marinda 
(Lyon)  Mockridge.  Her  father  was  a  wholesale  hardware  merchant  in  New- 
ark, New  Jersey,  and  her  mother  was  a  descendent  of  "  Robert  Bond,  the 
planter, "  of  Elizabethport,  and  also  of  Henry  Lyon,  a  founder  of  Lyon's  Farms, 
New  Jersey,  and  a  representative  of  another  distinguished  old  family  of  New 
Jersey.  Franklin  Rigby's  mother  was,  before  her  marriage.  Miss  Mary  E. 
Adams,  who  descended  in  the  Virginia  line  of  Adamses.  Elihu  Bond,  one  of 
the  ancestors  of  Mrs.  Franklin  Rigby,  was  captain  in  the  patriot  army  during 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  performed  gallant  service  for  the  cause  of  inde- 
pendence. Mr.  Rigby  has  one  brother,  Frank  Rigby,  Jr.,  and  three  sisters, 
named  in  the  order  of  their  birth,  Norma,  Pansy  and   Florence. 

George  N.  Mockridge,  after  whom  George  N.  Rigby  was  named,  was  a 
son  of  Elihu  Mockridge,  who  was  one  of  Newark's  wealthiest  land-owners 
during  the  early  part  of  this  century.  The  old  homestead,  which  is  still  stand- 
ing on  Franklin  street,  has  been  used  by  the  family  for  over  one  hundred 
years,  and  is  still  entailed,  somewhat  after  the  manner  of  English  estates. 

Elihu  Mockridge  was  the  son  of  William  Mockridge,  who  came  over 
from  Wales  as  a  boy  some  time  before  the  Revolution.  He  married  Jonnah 
Baldwin,  who  was  a  descendant  of  Joseph  Baldwin  and  wife,  7ic'e  Sarah 
Cooley,  who  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  New  Jersey. 


HICKSON  F.  HART,  M.  D. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  the  leading  young  physicians  of  York- 
town,  New  York,  and  belongs  to  a  family  which  has  long  been  identified 
with  Westchester  county.  Hickson  Field  Hart,  his  grandfather,  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  the  county.  He  married  Mary  Ann  Knowlton,  a  native 
of  the  county,  and  their  son  Stephen  L.  was  the  father  of  our  subject. 
Stephen  L.  Hart  and  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Jane  Drake  Morgan, 
are  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Hickson  F.,  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch;  Alonzo  K.,  of  Peekskill,  New  York;  Stephen  B.,  engaged  in 
business  in  Brooklyn,  New  York;  Joseph  Waldo  and  Georgianna.  The  father 
has  long  been  a  man  of  prominence  in  the  county,  affiliating  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  taking  an  active  interest  in  its  cause.  Several  terms  he  has 
served  as  sheriff  of  the  county.      He  is  now  engaged  in  farming. 

Hickson  Field  Hart  entered  the  Peekskill  Military  Academy  when  a  boy 
and  is  a  graduate  of  that  institution,  with  the  class  of  1882.     Then  he  took 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  485 

"up  the  study  of  medicine,  pursuing  his  studies  under  the  tuition  of  Dr.  A.  O. 
Snowdon,  of  Peekskill,  New  York,  and  in  due  time  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  this  profession.  For  six  years  he  has  been  located  at  Yorktown,  and  has 
been  successful  in  gaining  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  here.  The  Doctor 
is  a  member  of  the  Westchester  County  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  has 
served  as  vice-president,  and  is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  New  York 
State  Medical  Society,  at  Albany. 

Dr.  Hart  was  married,  June  25,  1891,  to  Miss  Mona  Ward,  a  native  of 
Albany,  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Ward  and  Maria  (Van  Buren) 
Ward,  his  wife.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ward  had  six  children,  of  whom  four  are 
living,  two  sons  and  two  daughters, — Julia  Robinson,  Mona,  Thomas  Ward, 
Jr.,  and  Albert.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  have  two  sons, — Ward  Van  Buren, 
born  October  2,  1893,  and  Morgan  Drake,  born  January  8,  1899.  Mrs. 
Hart  was  educated  in  Albany,  New  York,  and  is  a  woman  of  culture  and 
refinement.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  while  the  Doctor 
is  a  Methodist,  of  which  church  his  parents  are  members.  Socially  he  is 
identified  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  his  political  views 
are  those  set  forth  by  the  Democratic  party. 


HENRY  R.   HICKS. 


The  ancestral  history  of  the  Hicks  family  is  one  of  close  indentification 
•with  the  colony  of  Massachusetts.  The  Mayflower,  which  brought  the  little 
band  of  Pilgrims  to  the  shores  of  the  New  World,  was  followed  the  next 
year  by  the  stanch  little  barque  Fortune,  which,  sailing  from  London, 
arrived  at  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  on  the  nth  of  November,  1621.  Among 
its  passengers  was  Robert  Hicks,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America. 
He  was  a  leather-dresser  from  Bermondesey  street,  Southwark,  London. 
His  father,  James  Hicks,  was  lineally  descended  from  Sir  Ellis  Hicks,  who 
was  knighted  by  Edward,  the  Black  Prince,  on  the  battle-field  of  Poinctiers, 
Septem'ber  9,  1356,  for  bravery  in  capturing  a  set  of  colors  from  the  French. 
Margaret,  the  wife  of  Robert  Hicks,  with  her  children,  came  to  America  in 
the  ship  Ann,  which  arrived  at  Plymouth  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  1622. 
The  family  settled  in  Duxbury,  Massachusetts,  but  two  of  the  sons,  John 
and  Stephen,  about  1642,  removed  to  Long  Island.  In  October,  1645, 
Governor  Kieft  granted  a  patent  to  Thomas  Farrington,  John  Hicks  and 
others  for  ,the  township  of  Flushing,  Long  Island.  John  Hicks  seems  to 
have  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  settlement,  and  was  appointed 
at  various  times  to  fill  the  most  important  offices.  His  name  and  that  of 
his  son  Thomas  appear  in  connection  with  almost  every  public  measure  for 
many  years. 


486  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Robert  Hicks  was  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  Elizabeth  Morgan 
and  had  four  children, — Elizabeth,  Thomas,  John  and  Stephen.  Before  leav- 
ing England  he  married  Margaret  Winslow,  and  their  four  children  were 
named  Samuel,  Ephraim,  Lydia  and  Phebe.  John  Hicks,  the  second  of  the 
family,  married  Rachel  Starr,  and  of  their  children — Thomas,  Hannah  and 
Elizabeth — the  eldest  was  the  second  in  the  line  of  descent  to  him  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  Thomas  Hicks  wedded  Mary  Washburn,  and  their 
children  were  Thomas  and  Jacob.  The  mother  died  and  he  later  married 
Mary  Doughty,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children,  namely:  Isaac,  William, 
Stephen,  John,  Charles,  Benjamin,  Phebe,  Charity,  Mary  and  Elizabeth.  Of 
this  family  Isaac  Hicks  married  a  lady  whose  first  name  was  Elizabeth,  but 
whose  surname  is  not  known.  Their  children  were  Charles,  Benjamin, 
Isaac,  Gilbert,  James,  Thomas,  Henry,  John,  Edward,  Margaret,  Mary. 
Isaac  Hicks,  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  Hicks,  married  Charity  Esmond, 
and  their  union  was  blessed  with  five  children,  Edward,  Charles,  Amy, 
Sarah  and  Margaret.  The  second  son,  Charles,  was  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject.  He  married  Mary  Hicks,  and  their  children  were  Rodman, 
Oliver,  Charles,  Sarah,  Philetta  and  Lindley. 

Oliver  Hicks,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  on  Long  Island 
and  there  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  married  Susan  Vermillyea, 
whose  father  was  a  resident  of  Horseneck,  Westchester  county.  By  occupa- 
tion he  was  a  farmer  and  at  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  war  he  loyally 
served  his  country  as  a  colonel  in  the  American  army.  Unto  Oliver  and 
Susan  Hicks  were  born  two  sons  and  three  daughters:  Charles,  Eliza,  Scott, 
Susan  A.  and  Jane. 

Charles  Hicks,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  on  Long  Island,  near 
Hicksville,  and  was  a  relative  of  the  celebrated  Elias  Hicks,  the  founder  of 
the  Hicksite  branch  of  Friends,  one  of  the  early  branches  of  that  society. 
Mr.  Hicks  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Schenck,  Downing  &  Company, 
dealers  in  paints  and  glass  at  Nos.  io6  and  io8  Fulton  street.  New  York  city, 
and  thus  continued  for  many  years,  having  formerly  been  engaged  in 
merchandising.  For  about  ten  years  before  his  death  he  lived  retired  from 
business  cares,  enjoying  a  well  earned  competence,  which  supplied  him  with 
all  the  necessities  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  In  politics  he  was  a 
stanch  Democrat,  but  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  was  a  strong  Union 
man,  placing  the  country's  good  before  party  preferment  at  the  time  of  the 
nation's  peril.  He  was  also  one  of  the  first  to  advocate  the  issue  of  bonds 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  the  war.  In  his  early  life  he  served  as  a  cap- 
tain in  the  Twenty-seventh  Regiment  of  the  New  York  state  militia,  and  was 
ever  a  valued  citizen  of  the  community  in  which  he  made  his  home.  He 
died  May  29,  1866,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.      His  wife,  who  bore   the 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  487 

maiden  name  of  Jane  Ann  Sackett,  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  prom- 
inent old  families  of  Westchester  county.  She  is  deceased,  and,  like  the 
others  of  the  name,  lies  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Bedford. 

Henry  R.  Hicks,  the  only  child  of  Charles  and  Jane  A.  (Sackett)  Hicks,  was 
born  in  New  York  city,  December  14,  1835,  ^"d  pursued  his  education  in 
school  No.  7,  and  in  the  grammar  school  of  Columbia  College.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen  he  entered  upon  his  business  career,  securing  a  cletkship  with  the 
firm  of  John  Haslam  &  Sons,  hardware  merchants,  with  whom  he  continued 
until  1858,  and  after  that  was  in  the  employ  of  Read  &  Towsley  until  i860. 
From  that  year  until  1874  he  was  employed  in  the  engineering  department  of 
the  Brooklyn  navy  yard,  acting  as  storekeeper  from  1865  until  the  close  of 
his  connection  with  that  business.  On  resigning  his  place,  in  1874,  he 
retired  to  private  life  and  has  since  resided  in  the  seventh  ward  in  Yonkers, 
upon  a  farm  of  thirty  acres,  which  has  been  his  place  of  abode  for  thirty-six 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Citizens  National  Bank,  and 
from  the  beginning  has  continuously  served  on  its  directorate,  he  and  Charles 
Dusenberry  being  the  only  charter  members  of  the  bank  who  are  now  acting 
as  directors. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Hicks  has  occupied  positions  of  distinctive  prefer- 
ment in  connection  with  the  public  life  of  Yonkers.  In  his  political  affilia- 
tions he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  has  long  been  a  recognized  leader  in  the 
ranks  of  the  party.  From  the  old  fourth  ward  of  the  city  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  city  council  in  1872,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  six  con- 
secutive terms, — a  longer  continuous  service  than  any  other  member  of  that 
body.  His  long  retention  in  the  office  was  certainly  a  high  tribute  to  his 
ability  and  to  the  fidelity  with  which  he  discharged  his  duties,  and  for  three 
terms  he  had  the  honor  of  being  president  of  the  council.  He  exercised  his 
official  prerogative  for  the  benefit  and  progress  of  the  city,  supporting  all 
measures  which  he  believed  would  advance  the  general  welfare.  He  has 
been  one  of  the  police  commissioners  of  Yonkers  since  September,  1892,  when 
he  was  appointed  to  that  office,  and  by  reappointment,  received  in  1897,  he 
will  continue  to  serve  until  1901.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Rising  Star 
Lodge  of  Masons. 

On  the  2ist  of  May,  1863,  Mr.  Hicks  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Isabell  Weed,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Weed,  an  agriculturist  of  Yonkers.  They 
have  two  daughters:  Eveline  W.,  wife  of  Dr.  Karl  H.  Krober,  a  physician 
of  Yonkers;  and  Isabell,  wife  of  Rudolph  Eickemeyer,  Jr.  Such  in  brief  is 
the  history  of  one  who  for  many  years  has  been  a  distinguished  and  repre- 
sentative citizen  of  Yonkers.  In  all  his  business  dealing  and  official  duties  he 
has  been  scrupulously  exact  and  fair.  In  the  former  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful, as  the  result  of   ability,  discrimination  and  enterprise.     The  life  of 


488  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

such  a  man  is  an  object  lesson  of  real  value  to  the  observing  and  thoughtful. 
It  brings  out  prominently  the  characteristics  that  win,  offers  encouragement 
to  young  men  who  are  willing  to  work  with  their  minds  and  with  their  hands, 
and  aiiords  another  proof  of  the  familiar  adage  that  there  is  no  royal  road  to 
wealth  or  distinction  in  this  republic.  The^  achievement  depends  upon  the 
man. 

JACOB  READ. 

Mr.  Jacob  Read,  a  representative  of  the  Yonkers  people  who  were 
engaged  in  farming  during  1825  and  1855  ^^'^  intervening  years,  is  still  (1896) 
a  resident  of  the  town,  which  for  fifteen  years  he  served  as  supervisor.  In 
189s  he  said,  in  substance:  ' 

I  came  to  Yonkers  in  February,  1829,  when  a  boy  in  my  eleventh  year.  I  recall  distinctly 
the  prominent  farmers  of  Yonkers  from  1829  to  1855,  and  their  mode  of  life.  I  also  recall  the 
kind  of  crops  they  raised,  and  how  they  marketed  their  produce.  Through  the  '20s  and  '30s 
and  up  to  the  '40s,  the  principal  crops  were  pats,  rye,  wheat,  corn,  hay,  potatoes  and  pickles. 
The  potatoes  were  of  the  "blue  nose  "  and  "  kidney  "  variety.  Afterward  came  the  "Early 
Rose."  We  did  not  have,  as  farmers  do  now,  a  number  of  varieties,  all  dug  out  of  the  same 
hill.  The  fruits  were  apples,  peaches,  pears  and  cherries.  The  apples  were  "  Pound  Sweets," 
"  Catheads,"  and  "  Fall  Pippins."  The  peaches  of  Yonkers  in  the  latter  part  of  the  '30s  and  the 
first  of  the '40s  were  very  fine.  The  cherries  were  of  the  Dyckman  variety,  a  sour  cherry  and 
excellent.  We  used  to  call  tomatoes  "love  apples;"  but  nobody  ate  them.  I  never  ate  tomatoes 
until  1847.  We  had  good  walnuts  and  chestnuts.  The  garden  truck  the  farmers  raised  was 
for  their  own  use  only.  None  was  sent  to  market  until  1835.  All  the  cabbage  for  market,  for 
example,  was  raised  on  Bergen  Point  and  Long  Island.  Nor  did  the  Yonkers  farmers  send  any 
milk  to  New  York.  It  was  kept  in  milk-rooms,  for  there  were  no  ice-houses.  The  milk-rooms 
had  stone  bottoms,  and  were  cool.  Tables  in  those  days  were  supplied  with  plenty  of  fresh 
meat.  I  remember  that  Mr.  David  Horton,  with  whom  I  lived,  would  kill  a  sheep  in  summer, 
or  a  lamb  or  a  pig  in  the  fall,  so  as  to  have  fresh  meat,  and  would  send  a  quarter  over  to  Mr. 
Vermilye  Fowler's,  or  Mr.' Nattie  Valentine's,  or  Mr.  David  Oakley's;  and  when  they  killed,  they 
returned  the  favor.  The  poultry  in  the  farm-yards  also  supplied  the  tables.  Barrels  of  salted 
meats  and  hogsheads  of  cider,  as  also  butter,  lard,  turnips  and  potatoes  stocked  the  cellar- 
Blacksmiths,  wheelwrights  and  carpenters  made  many  agricultural  instruments  which  they  are 
not  expected  to  make  to-day. 

Beef  and  ham  were  smoked  in  the  farmers'  smoke-houses.  Up  to  1845  sheep  were  kept. 
The  lambs  were  sold  in  New  York.  A  man  came  up  from  Manhattan  island  during  a  period  of 
years  and  bought  lambs  of  the  farmers.  Pork  and  poultry  were  also  sent  to  New  York.  Large 
droves  of  cattle  and  sheep  from  the  north  passed  through  Yonkers  down  the  Albany  post-road. 
Perhaps  as  many  as  two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  cows  and  from  three  hundred  to  five 
hundred  sheep  would  be  in  a  single  drove.  Two  or  three  men  or  two  men  and  a  boy  could 
manage  a  drove,  as  the  line  fences  were  all  up  and  the  gates  were  closed.  The  drovers  "  put 
up  "  at  old  Uncle  Post  Dyckman's,  on  the  other  side  of  Kingsbridge. 

Hay  was  sold  in  New  York.  Marketing  was  done  by  land  as  well  as  by  river.  A  team 
would  be  sent  to  New  York  with  a  load  on  Sunday  night  in  order  to  be  there  for  the  Monday 
morning  market.  The  team  was  returned  the  next  day  and  again  sent  down  on  Wednesday 
back  Thursday,  and  down  again  on  J-Viday.  Butter  sold  at  from  ten  cents  to  a  shilling  a  pound! 
Loose  sugar,  that  is,  brown  sugar  for  every-day  use,  was  purchased  in  quantities  of  seven 
pounds.     White  sugar  was  purchased  by  the  "  loaf."    A  "  loaf  "  of  white  sugar  weighed  about 


Jacob  Read. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  489 

ten  or  twelve  pounds.  It  was  more  expensive  than  brown  sugar.  We  didn't  see  any  of  that 
white  sugar  around  except  when  there  was  company.  Then  it  was  cut  off  the  loaf  and  placed 
on  the  table.  We  used  to  count  money  by  pounds,  shillings,  and  pence  up  to  about  1841.  "  One 
and  three  pence"  was  fifteen  cents;  "one  and  ninepence,"  twenty-two  cents;  "two  andtupence," 
twenty-seven  cents.  In  these  early  days  we  used  "  dips,"  that  is,  tallow  candles.  The  candles 
were  made  by  hanging  wicks  over  alder  rods  (from  which  the  bark  had  been  peeled)  and  dip- 
ping them  into  the  mixed  mutton  and  beef  tallow;  the  beef  tallow  hardened  the  candles.  The 
alder  rods  were  selected  because  they  were  light  and  easily  handled.  After  the  candles 
were  made  the  rods  were  carefully  stored  away  for  the  next  year's  use.  In  later  years 
sperm  oil  and  kerosene  oil  were  used.  Coal  was  not  in  use  in  Yonkers  until  about  1839  or 
1840.  Then  Mr  Ebenezer  Baldwin,  who  kept  a  lumber  yard,  brought  in  twenty  tons;  but  its 
sale  was  slow.  Nobody  at  first  h^d  a  coal-stove.  Everybody  used  open  fireplaces  or  "  Frank- 
hn  "  stoves.  The  "  Franklin''  was  used  in  parlors.  It  was  open  in  front  like  a  fire-place.  On 
one  side  stood  the  tongs  and  on  the  other  the  shovel,  their  brass  tops  polished  bright. 

I  recall  distinctly  the  routine  work  of  each  year  on  the  Yonkers  farms.  January  and 
February  were  the  months  in  which  wood  was  cut  for  summer  use.  Enough  wood  was  cut  in 
the  winter  to  last  all  summer.  Fire-wood  was  drawn  from  the  woods  by  ox  teams.  When  the 
snow  was  deep  we  could  put  a  chain  around  the  tree  we  had  chopped  down,  and,  with  our  oxen, 
■would  drag  the  tree  to  the  wood-shed,  breaking  a  road  through  the  snow,  which  in  those  winters 
fell  plentifully.  I  have  seen  it  three  feet  deep,  and  of  course  there  were  often  heavy  drifts.  We 
used  to  pile  the  woodshed  full  of  fire-wood  and  then  pile  it  up  outside.  Loads  of  chips  were 
brought  to  the  yard  from  the  woods.  Chips  made  a  quick  fire  for  boiling  the  tea-kettle. 
Besides  the  wood  we  cut  for  home  use  we  cut  a  good  deal  of  cordwood  to  be  taken  to  New  York 
by  our  teams.  We  had  no  buck-saws,  but  used  axes  and  sometimes  cross-cut  saws.  Besides 
getting  in  our  wood,  we  threshed  oats,  rye  and  wheat  in  January  and  February,  calculating  to 
get  through  before  the  first  of  March,  which  was  the  month  for  repairing  stone  walls  and  rail 
fences,  and  for  cutting  brushes  and  briars  and  heaping  them  up  in  piles  to  burn.  In  April  the 
farmers  were  generally  digging  out  stone  and  buildmg  stone  walls.  They  were  also  at  that 
time  getting  ready  to  plow  their  corn  ground  and  also  to  plow  their  oats,  which  were  sown  in 
April.  In  May  we  planted  our  corn  ground  and  also  planted  potatoes  and  plowed  our  pickle 
grou'nd.  Every  farmer  had  his  pickle  patch,  some  reserving  four  acres  and  some  five  or  six  for 
that  crop.  In  June  the  pickles  were  planted.  That  was  a  very  important  crop.  Not  one-quar- 
ter of  the  pickles  were  taken  to  the  Yonkers  pickle  factories.  The  fact  of  the  business  is,  that 
Yonkers,  Fordham,  West  Farms,  Eastchester  and  Greenburgh  were  the  principal  pickle  pro- 
ducers for  the  New  York  market.  It  was  a  former  Yonkers  man  who  established  the  pickle 
industry  in  one  of  the  western  states.  In  June  we  also  put  our  cheese  peppers  in  beds  to  be 
afterward  transplanted.  A  good  many  of  them  were  raised.  June  was  also  the  month  for 
plowing  and  hoeing  corn  and  potatoes.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  month  we  plowed  for  buck- 
wheat and  turned  over  our  turnip  ground.  Turnips  were  raised  to  feed  the  cattle,  not  for  mar- 
ket. June  was  the  month  in  which  the  sheep  were  sheared  and  in  which  cherries  were  picked 
and  taken  to  market.  I  have  taken  down  to  the  city  as  many  as  sixteen  hundredweight  of  cher- 
ries. In  July  we  were  plowing  and  hilling  corn,  which  we  tried  to  finish  before  the  beginning 
of  haying  and  harvesting,  which  was  our  July  and  August  work.  In  July  we  also  plowed  and 
hoed  our  pickle  crop.  Apples  were  taken  to  market  in  August  and  pickles  were  picked  in  the 
last  part  of  the  month.  That  was  the  principal  work.  We  also  at  that  time  dug  potatoes  and 
took  them  and  our  apples  to  market.  This  work  extended  into  September.  Forty-five  bushels 
of  apples  were  a  load  for  a  team.  September  might  have  been  called  our  marketing  month,  for 
then  we  were  gathering  our  crops  and  taking  them  to  market.  We  also  were  topping  our  corn 
at  that  time,  but  we  did  not  husk  it  until  October,  which  was  also  the  month  for  picking  some 
variety  of  apples,  digging  some  kinds  of  potatoes  and  for  making  cider.  In  November  we  were 
yet  busy  husking  corn  and  digging  potatoes.  We  were  also,  during  this  and  other  winter 
months,  threshing  grain,  killing  hogs  and  poultry,  cutting  wood,  etc. 


490  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

The  crops  in  Yonkers  were  fine.  In  the  '40s  over  here  in  the  valley  (Tibbett's  Brook), 
at  the  Horton  farmhouse,  near  the  present  Dunwoodie  railroad  station,  and  a  little  south  of  the 
road  to  Eastchester  (Yonkers  avenue),  we  would  get  up  the  oxen  and  take  the  cart,  which  held 
forty-five  bushels,  out  to  the  potatoe  patch,  in  November,  and  there  dig  potatoes  and  fill  the  cart 
and  have  them  in  the  wagon-house  or  cellar  by  noon.  We  would  get  another  cart-load  im  the 
afternoon.  We  calculated  that  six  hills  of  the  variety,  which  was  very  large,  would  fill  a  bushel 
basket.  They  did  fill  it.  Some  of  those  potatoes  were  from  six  to  eight  inches  long,  and  they 
were  good,  too!  I  remember  that  sometimes  after  supper  we  went  to  the  barn  to  sort  apples  and 
potatoes.  We  made  two  candlesticks  by  cutting  holes  in  two  large  turnips.  We  put  a  dip  in 
each.  One  dip  would  be  burning  at  one  end  of  the  heap  of  potatoes  or  apples,  and  the  other  at 
the  other  end  of  the  heap.  We  sat  there  in  the  barn  and  worked.  Just  before  stopping  work,  one  of 
the  men  would  go  into  the  house  and  put  some  of  those  potatoes  in  the  hot  ashes  of  the  open 
fire-place.  When  we  all  came  in  from  the  barn  the  potatoes  were  nicely  backed,  and  there  we  sat, 
before  going  to  bed,  and  enjoyed  those  mealy  and  white  baked  potatoes. 

As  to  the  price  of  farm  land,  the  Horton  farm  of  two  hundred  acreis.  at  what  is  now 
called  Dunwoodie,  was  bought  in  1833,  or  1834,  for  six  thousand  dollars.  A  little  more  than  a 
score  of  years  afterward,  when  the  village  was  incorporated  (1855),  the  average  price  of  a  lot  on 
Warburtom  avenue  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  dollars.  Opposite  Manor 
Hall  the  price  was  two  hundred  dollars.  Judge  Woodruff  owned  the  property  at  that  time.  As  to 
the  upper  end  of  what  is  now  Warburton  avenue,  they  would  almost  give  you  a  lot  in  that  locality 
if  you  would  go  up  there.  In  1872,  when  the  city  was  incorporated,  those  lots  opposite  Manor 
Hall  were  worth  five  and  six  hundred  dollars  each.  When  Dr.  Gates  bought  of  Levi  P.  Rose  two  or 
three  acres  on  the  hill,  opposite  the  present  First  Reformed  church,  he  paid  for  it  three  thousand 
and  nine  hundred  dollars.  In  1893,  a  part  of  that  property  was  offered  to  the  city,  for  a  city  hall 
property,  for  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  dollars. 

I  recall  one  event  which  created  great  excitement  in  Yonkers  in  1842  or  1843.  A  dam 
above  Ashford  (a  place  subsequently  called  Ardsley  by  Mr.  Cyrus  W. Field),  about  five  miles  north 
of  Yonkers,  gave  way,  by  reason  of  a  sudden  and  heavy  fall  of  rain,  owing  to  a  cloud-burst- 
Oliver  Rhead,  whose  farm  was  in  Sawmill  river  valley,  a  little  north  of  St.  John's  cemetery,  saw 
the  river  rising  rapidly,  and,  mounting  his  horse,  rode  swiftly  down  to  Yonkers  to  alarm  the 
village.  The  Wells  and  Paddock  dam,  north  of  the  present  Elm  street  bridge,  was  then  com- 
paratively new,  but  for  some  time  it  resisted  the  pressure  of  the  flood.  In  those  days  there  were 
no  factories  or  other  buildings  near  the  dam  to  be  damaged.  At  last  the  water  broke  through 
and  with  irresistible  force  rushed  through  the  little  village.  It  gullied  out  Mechanic  (now  New 
Main)  street  about  seven  feet.  It  also  gullied  out  Mill  (now  Main)  street,  west  of  Getty  Square, 
At  that  time  the  "  TonyArcher  "  bridge,  a  wooden  structure  near  the  present  cemetery(Oakland), 
spanned  the  Sawmill  river.  It  had  upright  side-posts  surmounted  with  railing.  The  water 
overflowed  that  bridge  and  the  bridge  over  the  Sawmill  river  just  north  of  the  present  Getty 
Square.  The  Sawmill  river  road  was  covered.  The  water  ran  up  over  the  stone  wall,  and  as 
far  as  the  old  parsonage,  in  what  are  now  Oakland  cemetery  grounds.  It  also  overflowed, 
"  Gully  Guion's  lane."  I  was  on  my  way  to  a  political  meeting  to  be  held  at  Bashford's  tavern, 
which  stood  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Nepperhan,  west  of  Manor  Hall.  When  I  reached  the 
Tony  Archer  bridge,  near  the  parsonage  lot,  I  attempted  to  ford  the  water,  which  was  runnings 
over  the  bridge.  The  current  swept  me  and  my  horse  down  stream,  and,  after  regaining  solid 
ground,  I  rode  down  to  the  Post-road  bridge  and  forded  it  without  accident.  I  recall  the  deep- 
gully  in  Mechanic  street  near  the  site  of  the  present  Getty  House.  A  few  days  after  the  flood  a 
young  horse  belonging  to  Anson  Baldwin  was  taken  to  be  shod  at  Archibald's  (afterward  Peter 
Nodine's)  blacksmith  shop.  The  horse  was  restless  and  succeeded  in  breaking  away  from 
the  tie-post.  He  ran  around  into  Mechanic  street,  fell  into  the  deep  gully  and  was  killed. 
The  gully  was  full  of  boulders. 

Jacob  Read  was  born  at  Southeast,  Putnam  county,  New  York,  on  Sep- 
tember 30,  1818.      His  father,  Rooney  Read,    was  a  soldier  in  the  war   of 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  491 

1812,  and  his  grandfather,  Jacob  Read,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution.  Mr. 
Read  came  to  Yonkers  at  the  age  of  eleven,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best 
known  citizens.  He  has  held  many  positions  of  trust;  for  fifteen  years  was 
supervisor,  and  at  present  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  water  commissioners, 
acting  as  treasurer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Masonic 
orders.  On  November  23,  1845,  he  married  Miss  Catherine  L.  Mann,  who- 
died  on  December  26,  1891.  Five  of  his  children  are  living, — George, 
Leander  and  David  H.,  all  residents  of  Yonkers;  Mrs.  Amanda  Gibson,  of 
White  Plains;  and  Helen  L. ,  wife  of  Wilbur  B.  Ketcham,  of  this  city. 


THEODORE  HILL. 


One  of  the  most  progressive  and  successful  agriculturists  of  Yorktown' 
township,  Westchester  county,  is  Theodore  Hill,  who  is  the  owner  of  a  beau- 
tiful farm  of  two  hundred  acres.  His  methods  of  farm  management  show 
deep  scientific  knowledge,  combined  with  sound,  practical  judgment,  and 
the  results  show  that  "high-class"  farming  as  an  occupation  can  be  made 
profitable  as  well  as  pleasant. 

Mr.  Hill  was  born  December  i,  1850,  and  belongs  to  a  family  w-hich  was 
founded  in  this  county  by  his  great-grandfather,  Uriah  Hill,  who  came  here 
from  New  York  city  during  the  early  days  of  settlement  on  Manhattan  island. 
His  grandfather  was  Abraham  Hill.  His  father,  Abraham  Hill,  Jr.,  was  a 
farmer  throughout  life,  was  broad  and  liberal  in  religious  matters,  and  at  the 
polls  voted  the  Democratic  ticket.  He  married  Miss  Thamer  Lounsbury, 
the  daughter  of  Daniel  Lounsbury,  who  belonged  to  an  old  family  of  this 
section,  and  was  the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill 
were  born  two  children:  Theodore,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and  Hannah 
J.,  wife  of  Peter  Curry.  The  mother  died  in  early  life,  and  the  father  after- 
ward married  Miss  Mary  A.  Fowler,  whose  death  occurred  in  August,  1897. 

Theodore  Hill  was  reared  and  educated  in  Yorktown  township,  West- 
chester county.  New  York,  and  since  attaining  to  man's  estate  has  devoted 
his  time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits,  with  good  success.  He  now 
owns  and  operates  a  fine  dairy  farm  near  Lake  Osceola,  in  Yorktown  town- 
ship, Westchester  county,  on  which  is  an  excellent  orchard,  large  barns  and 
a  nice  residence, — in  fact,  all  the  conveniences  and  accessories  of  a  model 
farm  are  there  found. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1892,  Mr.  Hill  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Susan  H.  Curry,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  James  H.  and  Emily  (Minor)  Curry.  Her 
father  is  a  prominent  physician  of  Yorktown,  and  both  parents  are  promi- 
nent members  and  active  workers  in  the  Methodist  church.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 


492  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Hill  have  two  little  sons,  who  make  bright  their  home,  namely:  James  Curry 
and  Theodore  A. 

While  taking  an  active  interest  in  political  affairs,  Mr.  Hill  is  not  a  mem- 
ber of  either  of  the  great  political  parties,  but  prefers  to  vote  for  the  man 
whom  he  believes  best  qualified  to  fill  the  office,  regardless  of  party  ties.  He 
is  an  efficient  member  of  the  school  board,  and  is  also  filling  the  offices  of 
collector  and  commissioner  in  his  township.  He  and  his  wife  are  leading 
members  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  they  well  deserve  the  high  regard  in 
which  they  are  uniformly  held. 


NELSON  H.  BAKER. 


A  prominent  and  distinguished  attorney  of  Sing  Sing,  Mr.  Baker  has 
for  almost  forty  years  successfully  engaged  in  practice  at  the  Westchester 
county  bar.  He  was  born  in  this  county,  March  4,  1835,  a  son  of  Quinby 
and  Elizabeth  (Dayton)  Baker,  and  is  a  worthy  representative  of  good  old 
Revolutionary  stock.  The  Baker  family  is  of  English  origin,  and  tradition 
states  that  its  progenitor  in  the  New  World  was  the  chaplain  on  the  May- 
flower. Our  subject's  great-grandfather,  Daniel  Baker,  was  a  captain  in  the 
Colonial  army  under  General  Washington,  and  participated.in  the  battle  of 
White  Plains  at  the  time  the  British  fleet  came  up  the  Hudson  river,  and  the 
grandfather,  Daniel  Baker,  who  was  a  farmer,  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  18 1 2.  Quinby  Baker  was  an  inventor  and  was  accidentally  killed  when  our 
subject  was  quite  small,  having  participated  in  the  Mexican  war,  in  which  he 
was  wounded  and  died  from  the  effects  of  a  poisoned  bullet.  He  left  three 
children,  the  others  being  Alonzo,  a  mechanic  residing  in  Bedford,  and  Cla- 
rissa, now  deceased.  For  four  generations  the  Baker  family  have  resided  in 
Westchester  county  and  have  been  numbered  among  its  most  worthy  and 
progressive  citizens.  The  Dayton  family  is  also  an  old  and  loyal  one,  being 
well  represented  in  the  Revolution,  the  war  of  18 12  and  the  civil  war,  and  is 
connected  with  the  Greene  family  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Our  subject's 
maternal  grandfather,  Gilbert  Dayton,  was  wounded  in  the  war  of  18 12. 

Reared  upon  a  farm.  Nelson  H.  Baker  obtained  his  early  education  in 
the  district  schools  and  by  private  instruction  from  an  Irish  tutor,  Thomas 
O'Rily.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  with 
Francis  Larkin,  of  Sing  Sing,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  November, 
1859,  since  which  time  he  has  engaged- in  general  practice  in  Sing  Sing. 
Early  in  life  he  became  interested  in  political  affairs,  and  when  still  a  young 
man  made  the  race  for  supervisor,  and  was  elected.  The  following  year  he 
was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  and  filled  that  office  for  four  consecutive 
terms.      He  was  then  appointed  district  attorney  to  fill  an  unexpired  term  of 


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WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  49S 

more  than  two  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  was  elected  to  that  position, 
which  he  then  held  for  four  terms,  or  fourteen  years  in  all.  Since  then  he 
has  given  his  entire  attention  to  his  private  practice,  making  a  specialty  of 
criminal  law,  and  has  defended  many  noted  criminals.  Prominence  at  the 
bar  comes  through  merit  alone,  and  the  high  position  which  he  has  attained 
attests  his  superiority.  As  a  fluent,  earnest  and  convincing  advocate  he  has 
but  few  equals.  Thoroughness  characterizes  all  his  efforts,  and  he  conducts 
all  business  with  a  strict  regard  to  a  high  standard  of  professional  ethics.  He 
follows  his  own  peculiar  style  and  is  quick  to  discern  which  course  to  pursue, 
but  has  always  refused  to  prosecute  a  case  when  he  has  believed  the  prose- 
cution to  be  unjust.  As  an  attorney  he  ranks  among  the  foremost  in  this 
section  of  the  state,  and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  eminent  citizens 
of  Westchester  county. 

On  the  2d  of  November,  1859,  Mr.  Baker  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Urmy,  a  native  of  the  town  of  Ossining,  now  Sing  Sing, 
who  died  February  21,  1898.  Two  sons  were  born  to  this  union,  Ralph 
and  Stuart,  both  of  whom  have  been  well  educated,  and  Stuart  practices 
law  and  is  a  member  of  the  Westchester  county  bar. 


ROBERT  A.   R0TCH6. 


A  prominent  and  popular  citizen  of  Peekskill,  Westchester  county,  Mr. 
Rotche  has  always  been  noted  for  his  patriotism  and  loyalty  to  the  govern- 
ment and  for  his  earnest  efforts  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  community  in 
which  his  lot  is  cast.  He  was  a  young  man  of  but  nineteen  years  when  he 
offered  his  services,  and  his  life,  if  need  be,  to  the  Union,  and  with  his  brave 
comrades  took  a  distinguished  part  in  the  battle  of  Antietam,  two  hundred 
and  sixty-five  of  the  regiment  meeting  death  in  that  fearful  combat  between  the 
opposing  armies.  He  was  also  a  participant  in  the  battles  of  Fredericksburg 
and  Roanoke  Island  and  in  minor  engagements  and  skirmishes  with  the 
enemy.  His  term  of  service  extended  over  a  period  of  two  years,  beginning 
on  August  19,  1 86 1,  and  terminating  in  August,  1863,  when  he  received  an 
honorable  discharge.  He  was  a  member  of  the  famous  Hawkins  Zouaves, 
Ninth  Regiment  of  New  York  Infantry. 

Mr.  Rotche  has  never  lost  his  interest  in  the  boys  who  wore  the  blue, 
and,  wherever  he  has  gone  has  been  identified  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  and  is  now  the  commander  of  Abraham  Vosburgh  Post,  No.  95,  of 
Peekskill.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  has  loyally  aided  that  party  since 
he  had  the  privilege  of  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot,  for  Abraham 
Lincoln.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,, 
belonging  to  Cortlandt  Lodge,  No.  .6,  and  while   he  was  a  resident  of  Saa 


494  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Francisco,  California,  he  was  a  member  of  Oriental  Encampment,  No.  57 
I.  O.  O.   F. 

Robert  A.  Rotche,  who  has  made  his  home  in  Peekskill  for  many  years,  is 
a  native  of  this  county,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Cortlandt  township, 
January  13,  1842.  He  is  a  son  of  John  G.  and  Margaret  (Henry)  Rotch^. 
The  father,  who  was  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  was  a  brick-maker  by  profes- 
sion. His  death  took  place  over  thirty  years  ago,  in  1867.  His  widow 
passed  away  in  August,  1896,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  Both 
were  members  of  the  old  Dutch  Reformed  church.  They  were  the  parents 
of  six  children,  only  two  of  whom  survive,  namely:  John  H.,  a  resident  of 
Croton-on-Hudson,  and  Robert  A. 

In  his  youth  Robert  A.  Rotche  received  an  excellent  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  the  county  of  his  nativity.  Soon  after  he  left  the  school-room 
he  entered  upon  his  army  life  and  when  he  returned  from  the  battle-fields  of 
the  south  he  went  to  San  Francisco,  California,  where  he  remained  for 
twenty  years  or  more,  and  there  engaged  in  merchandising  and  was  also 
prominently  identified  in  local  political  affairs. 

In  1867  the  marriage  of  R.  A.  Rotche  and  Miss  Jennie  Black  was 
solemnized  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Lowry,  of  Hanson  Place 
Baptist  church.  Mrs.  Rotche  is  a  daughter  of  James  Black,  of  Brooklyn. 
Edward  A.,  the  only  child  born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  died  June  17,  1883, 
at  San  Francisco,  aged  fifteen  years.  He  was  a  bright,  promising  youth, 
admired  and  loved  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  his  loss  was  deeply  felt  by  a 
large  circle  of  friends. 

LEONARD  JACOBI. 

As  one  who  has  attained  conspicuous  success  in  connection  with  the  busi- 
ness and  industrial  activities  of  the  nation,  and  standing  at  the  head  of  one 
of  the  important  and  magnificent  manufacturing  and  commercial  enterprises 
of  Westchester  county,  there  is  a  manifest  consistency  in  according  in  this 
compilation  at  least  a  brief  review  of  the  life  of  Leonard  Jacobi,  of  Yonkers, 
who  is  the  president  of  the  Nepera  Chemical  Company,  of  Nepera  Park. 
His  exceptional  business  sagacity  and  acumen  can  be  recognized  when  we 
revert  to  the  circumstance  that  he  had  by  his  own  efforts  accumulated  a  suf- 
ficient competency  to  enable  him  consistently  to  retire  from  active  business 
at  an  age  when  the  average  man  is  but  formulating  plans  and  initiating  his 
business  career. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  educational  discipline  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  New  York  city,  and  thereafter  instituted  his  independent  busi- 
ness career  by  going  to  San  Francisco,  California,  where  he  became  a  stock- 
broker.    Instituting  operations  in  this  line  in  the  year  18:74,  his  success  was 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  495 

almost  phenomenal,  as  is  shown  in  the  fact,  already  referred  to  incidentally, 
that  he  was  able  to  retire  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years,  having  accumu- 
lated a  fortune  by  his  wise  manipulations  and  rare  business  discrimination. 
The  story  of  his  brilliant  success  is  as  brief  as  it  was  astonishing,  taking  into 
consideration  his  youth  and  the  difficulties  with  which  he  naturally  had  to 
contend. 

After  retiring  from  business  in  California,  Mr.  Jacobi  devoted  fourteen 
years  to  travel  and  recreation  in  Europe,  and  while  thus  journeying  about 
from  one  place  of  interest  to  another  he  chanced  to  form  the  acquaintance 
of  Dr.  Leo  Baekeland,  who  is  now  associated  with  him  in  the  great  enter- 
prise which  they  have  built  up  in  Westchester  county.  A  more  formal 
description  of  this  industry  appears  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Dr. 
Baekeland,  which  is  published  on  other  pages  of  this  work.  Suffice  it  to  say 
at  this  point  that  the  enterprise  was  inaugurated  in  1893,  when  the  Nepera 
Chemical  Company  was  organized,  its  principal  product  being  the  celebrated 
Velox  photographic  paper — a  sensitized  paper  for  use  in  printing  from 
ordinary  photographic  negatives,  and  one  whose  facility  in  manipulation  is 
bound  to  revolutionize  this  feature  of  the  photographic  processes.  The  paper 
is  described  more  fully  in  the  review  of  the  life  of  its  inventor,  Dr.  Baeke- 
land, but  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  state  here  that  the  pronounced  points 
of  superiority  in  the  product  are  that  it  is  sensitive  to  what  the  photographer 
would  call  very  "slow"  light- — that  is,  prints  can  be  made  with  utmost 
facility  not  alone  by  daylight,  but  from  the  light  of  ordinary  gas  or  lamp; 
while  the  process  of  developing  and  fixing  the  prints  is  by  gas  light  or  any 
artificial  light.  The  Velox  paper,  however,  gives  results  which  equal  any- 
thing that  can  be  obtained  from  aristo  papers,  and  also  gives  the  depth  of 
tone-shadows  and  lights  which  the  aristo  paper  invariably  blurs.  In  this 
respect  the  Velox  is  superior  to  both  the  aristo  and  the  old-time  albumen  paper, 
which  likewise  had  its  elements  of  superiority  over  the  former  in  the  pres- 
ervation of  the  more  delicate  values  of  the  various  negatives. 

The  Nepera  Chemical  Company  has  an  extensive  and  finely  equipped 
plant,  which  covers  a  large  area,  and  here  employment  is  afforded  to  one 
hundred  individuals.  The  Velox  paper  met  with  an  almost  instantaneous 
favor  on  the  part  of  photographers,  and  the  product  of  the  factory  is  now 
shipped  to  every  civilized  country  in  the  world,  foreign  agencies  having  been 
established  in  a  number  of  the  principal  cities  abroad.  In  addition  to  these 
agencies  in  foreign  lands,  a  number  have  been  established  in  the  various  sec- 
tions of  the  United  States,  and  a  large  corps  of  traveling  salesmen  is  em- 
ployed by  the  company  in  the  introducing  and  sale  of  the  Velox  paper. 
Besides  Velox,  however,  the  Nepera  Chemical  Company  has  the  only  manu- 
Jactory  in  the  world  that  produces  all  kinds  of  photographic  papers,  other 


496  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

manufacturers  having  their  specialties  only.  In  this  respect  the  Nepera 
Chemical  Company  stands  unique  in  its  branch  of  industry.  The  enterprise 
has  important  bearing  on  the  industrial  status  and  prosperity  of  Yonkers, 
and  is  duly  appreciated  by  all  classes  of  citizens  who  are  interested  in  the 
progress  of  the  city.  The  company  largely  employ  home  labor  and  skill 
and  pay  good  salaries,  much  of  the  work  requiring  the  co-operation  of  prac- 
tical chemists  and  men  of  education. 

Personally  Mr.  Jacobi  is  a  man  of  most  pleasing  personality,  genial  and 
affable  in  manner,  and  he  has  gained  a  distinctive  popularity  in  both  busi- 
ness and  social  circles.  He  is  a  thorough  business  man,  alert  and  progress- 
ive, and  a  hard  worker.  He  is  quick  and  energetic,  and  is  recognized  for 
his  superior  ability  in  handling  affairs  of  great  breadth.  He  has  pushed  the 
business  of  the  Nepera  Chemical  Company  to  the  front  with  great  rapidity, 
expending  each  year  many  thousand  dollars  in  advertising,  realizing  that  by 
this  typical  American  method  a  business  may  be  built  up  in  one  year  to  a 
point  which  could  not  be  reached  in  ten  by  the  slow  system  of  gradual  intro- 
duction of  products  by  personal  solicitation  alone.  He  stands  distinctively 
as  the  business  head  of  the  enterprise;  Dr.  Baekeland  devotes  his  attention 
to  the  development  and  improvement  of  the  manufacturing  processes,  by  con- 
tinued investigation  and  experimentation,  being  also  secretary  of  the  com- 
pany; while  Albert  G.  C.  Hahn,  M.  S.,  is  treasurer.  Mr.  Jacobi  took  up 
his  residence  in  Yonkers  in  1897. 


EDWARD  B.  REAR. 


The  present  well  known  and  popular  supervisor  of  Yorktown  township, 
Westchester  county,  was  born  March  24,  1866,  and  is  a  representative  of  an 
old  and  highly  respected  family  of  this  county.  His  paternal  great-grandfa- 
ther, Jonathan  Rear,  who  was  of  Welsh  descent,  settled  near  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Yorktown  some  time  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  son,  Peter 
Rear,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  here  reared  to  manhood  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Susan  Anderson,  who  was  born  at  Croton-on-Hudson  and  was  of 
German  descent.  To  them  was  born  a  family  of  nine  children,  and  of  those 
who  reached  maturity  we  offer  the  following  brief  record:  Peter  is  a  resident 
of  Geneva,  New  York;  Amos  died  in  1891,  his  being  the  first  death  in  the 
family  for  forty  years;  Henry  C.  is  the  father  of  our  subject;  William  and 
George  are  both  residents  of  Seneca  Falls,  New  York;  Cyrus  resides  at 
Almont,  Michigan;  Sarah  Dean  has  her  home  at  Rochester,  New  York;  and 
Daniel  also  resides  at  Almont,  Michigan.  The  mother  of  these  children  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  and  the  father  two  or  three  years  later.  By 
occupation  he  was  a  farmer,  and  in  politics  was  a  Republican. 


<^k^y^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  497 

Henry  C.  Kear,  the  father  of  our  subject,  is  a  native  of  Westchester 
county,  born  December  i8,  1836,  and  was  reared  on  the  homestead  at  York- 
town,  receiving  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-seven  years  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine 
Farmer,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  to  them  were  born  two  children:  William 
C. ,  of  Yorktown;  and  Edward  B.,  of  this  sketch.  The  Kear  homestead  con- 
sists of  two  hundred  and  iifty-six  acres  of  choice  farming  land,  which  has 
been  placed  under  a  high  'state  of  cultivation  and  improved  with  good  and 
substantial  buildings.  In  fact  it  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  attractive 
farms  in  the  vicinity.  To  its  further  improvement  and  cultivation  father 
and  sons  still  devote  their  energies  with  most  gratifying  results,  and  Mr. 
Kear  also  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  the  town 
of  Somers. 

Edward  B.  Kear  obtained  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  near 
his  boyhood  home,  and  later  attended  the  Hackettstown  Institute,  where  he 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1884.  Since  attaining  his  majority  he  has  been 
a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  and  has  taken  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  local  politics.  His  fellow  citizens,  recognizing  his  worth 
and  ability,  elected  him  township  clerk  in  1889,  and  he  has  also  been  called 
upon  to  fill  the  offices  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  township  supervisor,  in 
which  he  has  served  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
his  constituents.  Mr.  Kear  was  again  re-elected  to  the  office  of  supervisor  of 
the  township  in  the  spring  of  1899,  by  an  increased  majority  over  his  former 
opponent.  In  1894  Mr.  Kear  was  elected  a  justice  of  sessions  of  Westches- 
ter county,  and  filled  that  office  till  its  abolishment  by  the  constitutional 
amendment. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1896,  Mr.  Kear  was  icarried  to  Miss  Josephine  Rey- 
nolds, of  Croton  Lake,  a  daughter  of  Lockwood  Reynolds,  of  that  place,  and 
in  the  social  circles  of  the  community  they  occupy  an  enviable  position- 


EUGENE  P.  SHEPHERD. 

The  well-known  proprietor  of  the  Croton  Valley  Poultry  farm,  at  Croton 
Falls,  Westchester  county,  is  Eugene  Purdy  Shepherd,  who  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  in  1864,  the  son  of  C.  C.  and  Ann  (Purdy)  Shepherd.  His  maternal 
grandfather  was  Joel  B.  Purdy,  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  and  prominent 
families  of  New  York. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  Eugene  P.  Shepherd  received  a  good 
practical  education  and  also  learned  the  jewelry  trade,  which  he  followed  for 
a  time.  For  some  years  he  was  also  employed  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  a 
New  York  firm,  but   for  the  past   seven  years  has    engaged    in  his  present 

32 


498  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

business.  He  was  married  in  1895,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Ella 
Bailey,  who  died  November  24,  1898,  leaving  two  daughters, — Florence  B. 
and  Helen. 

The  Croton  Valley  Poultry  farm  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  widely 
known  farms  of  the  kind  in  the  state.  The  grounds  are  large,  and  a  good 
residence  has  been  erected  on  a  natural  building  site.  Mr.  Shepherd  has 
spent  over  four  thousand  dollars  for  stock  and  buildings  and  has  con- 
verted it  into  an  ideal  poultry  ranch.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  Plymouth 
Rock  and  Leghorn  fowls  and  some  of  his  prize  winners  are  valued  at  one 
hundred  dollars  per  pair.  Orders  for  fowls  and  eggs  come  from  all  parts  of 
the  country,  and  he  has  received  first  and  sweepstakes  prizes  in  New  York, 
Boston,  Buffalo,  Albany  and  other  places.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American 
Poultry  Association  and  also  belongs  to  several  smaller  and  local  poultry 
associations. 

A  man  of  superior  intellect,  frank  and  genial  in  disposition,  he  is  very 
popular  with  his  fellow  men,  and  his  circle  of  friends  seems  limited  only  by 
his  circle  of  acquaintances. 


WILLIAM  F.   McCABE. 


For  thirty  years  this  well-known  resident  of  Mamaroneck  has  made  his 
home  in  this  flourishing  little  village,  and  during  the  past  score  of  years  has 
risen  to  a  position  of  prominence  and  influence  in  its  affairs,  commercial  and 
■otherwise.  He  has  been  an  important  factor  in  local  politics,  being  a  worker 
in  the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  was  the  receiver  of  taxes  for  two 
years  and  excise  commissioner  for  three  years. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  William  F.  and  Ellen  (Collins)  McCabe. 
He  was  born  in  East  Morris,  now  included  within  the  limits  of  Greater  New 
York,  in  1857.  At  the  age  of  one  year  WilHam  F.  accompanied  his  father  to 
Mamaroneck,  and  has  since  looked  upon  this  place  as  his  home.  He  received 
his  higher  education  in  Saint  Francis  Xavier  College,  in  New  York  city,  but 
left  his  studies  when  eighteen  years  of  age  in  order  to  enter  upon  his  business 
career.  He  was  associated  with  his  father  in  contracting  until  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  when  he  embarked  upon  independent  work.  His  first  important 
task  was  the  construction  of  the  reservoir  dam  for  the  New  Rochelle  water- 
works, and  having  executed  this  contract  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  con- 
cerned he  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  further  contracts  at  other  points  and 
for  various  kinds  of  public  works.  One  of  the  finest  pieces  of  work  that  he 
has  accomplished  is  the  Byron  bridge,  connecting  New  York  and  Greenmont, 
Connecticut.  This  structure  has  a  beautiful  double  arch  of  cut  stone.  Though 
he  has  taken  contracts  for  a  great  many  private  parties,  he  is  especially  quali- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  499 

fied  to  take  much  more  important  pieces  of  work,  and  caters  to  large  public 
improvements. 

Among  those  for  whom  he  has  carried  out  contracts  are  Mr.  Schoon- 
maker,  of  Scarsdale,  and  William  H.  Macy  and  Porter  A.  Harrison.  For 
three  years  and  eight  months  he  was  engaged  upon  the  construction  of  the 
new  Croton  dam  for  the  New  York  city  water  works,  and  excavated  the  first 
yard  of  rock  for  that  remarkable  piece  of  work.  Few  public  works  have 
been  carried  out  in  this,  town  without  his  co-operation,  and  many  of  the  more 
important  improvements  in  Mount  Vernon  have  been  managed  by  him.  He 
built  six  miles  of  macadam  road  in  Richmond,  and  has  the  most  complete 
facilities  for  this  kind  of  enterprise,  as  he  owns  a  stone-crusher  and  steam- 
rollers, and  in  other  work  he  has  the  most  approved  modern  steam  drills 
{eight  in  number),  hoisting  machines,  etc.,  and  keeps  twenty-two  horses  for 
use  in  his  various  departments  of  business.  It  is  conceded  that,  for  the  execu- 
tion of  street  paving  and  public  works  in  general,  he  has  the  most  complete 
machinery  and  equipments  of  any  contractor  in  this  county.  He  employs 
as  many  as  four  hundred  and  fifty  men  at  a  time,  and  his  pay  roll  frequently 
amounts  to  eight  thousand  dollars  a  month,  while  his  contracts  for  two  years 
footed  up  about  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

Though  he  is  quite  devoted  to  his  business  affairs  Mr.  McCabe  always 
finds  time  to  discharge  his  duties  as  a  citizen.  He  has  been  active  in  the 
work  of  the  fire  department,  as  for  five  years  he  was  identified  with  the 
Mamaroneck  Hook  &  Ladder  Company;  was  for  three  years  a  member  of 
the  Croton  Hook  &  Ladder  Company  and  was  in  the  patrol  department  here 
for  some  time,  being  at  present  an  honorary  member  of  the  same.  Frater- 
nally, he  is  a  member  of  the  orders  of  Foresters  and  Red  Men. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  McCabe  and  Miss  Minnie  Anthes  was  celebrated 
April  IS,  1889.  Mrs.  McCabe  is  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Dorothea 
{Miller)  Anthes,  of  this  place.  The  four  children  born  to  our  subject  and 
wife  are  William  F. ;  Ellen  Dorothea,  deceased;  May;  and  Irene. 

William  F.  McCabe,  as  an  honored  old  citizen  of  Mamaroneck,  deserves 
special  mention.  He  is  a  native  of  county  Kildare,  Ireland,  born  about 
1830.  He  came  to  America  prior  to  his  marriage  and  engaged  in  contract- 
ing after  he  had  been  on  these  shores  for  a  few  years.  At  first,  however,  he 
was  employed  on  farms  as  a  manager  of  the  same.  He  has  made  a  specialty 
of  building  seawalls  and  other  similar  works  of  public  improvement,  but  for 
the  past  fifteen  years  he  has  lived  practically  retired  from  active  labors.  He 
has  been  influential  in  the  affairs  of  the  local  Democratic  party  and  for  twen- 
ty-four years  occupied  the  office  of  road  commissioner,  at  the  expiration  of 
which  period  he  resigned,  refusing  to  retain  the  office  longer.  Among  many 
other  works  of  improvement  here  with  which  he  was  identified  was  the  con- 


500  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

struction  of  the  Mamaroneck  water  main.  Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife 
have  arrived  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  Of  their  ten  children  five  sur- 
vive, namely:     Sarah  Carroll,  William  F.,  Thomas,  Ellen  and  Richard. 


FREDERICK  W.   SHERMAN. 

The  ancestry  of  the  Sherman  family,  of  which  our  subject  is  a  represent- 
tative,  can  be  traced  back  to  William  Sherman,  bailiff  of  Debenham  Stone- 
ham,  in  Suffolk,  England.  He  flourished  about  1410,  and  was  the  father  of 
John  Sherman,  of  Suffolk,  whose  son,  Thomas  Sherman,  of  Dedham,  Eng- 
land, died  in  1564.  The  last  named  was  the  father  of  Henry  Sherman,  also 
of  Dedham.  His  wife  was  Agnes  Sherman,  and  his  will  was  dated  1589. 
Edward  Sherman,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Agnes  Sherman,  married  Ann  Clerc, 
made  his  home  in  Dedham,  England,  and  left  a  will  dated  1598.  His  son, 
John  Sherman,  was  the  next  in  the  line  of  direct  descent  to  our  subject,  and 
his  will  bore  date  1654  or  1655.  The  last  named  was  the  father  of  Captain 
John  Sherman,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  He  was  born  in  Ded- 
ham, England,  in  161 3,  and  came  to  America  in  1634,  locating  in  Watertown, 
Massachusetts.  His  daughtar  was  Martha  Palmer,  daughter  of  William 
Palmer,  and  their  son  John  was  killed  in  the  Narragansett  Indian  fight.  It 
was  Edward  Sherman,  of  Dedham,  England,  an  uncle  of  Captain  John  Sher- 
man, from  whom  descended  General  William  T.  Sherman  and  Senator  John 
Sherman,  of  Ohio.  Joseph  Sherman,  a  son  of  Captain  John  Sherman,  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Winship,  daughter  of  Lieutenant  Edward  H.  and  Elizabeth 
Winship,  of  Cambridge,  on  November  18,  1673,  and  of  this  union  was  born 
William  Sherman,  of  Charlestown,  Massachusetts,  who  married  Mehitable 
Wellington. 

They  became  the  parents  of  Roger  Sherman,  the  great-grandfather  of 
our  subject,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  patriots  who  promoted  the  cause  of 
liberty  and  freedom  in  that  period  which  gave  birth  to  the  republic.  He  was 
married  May  12,  ly^^,  to  Rebecca  Prescott,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and 
Rebecca  (Minot)  Prescott,  of  Danvers,  Connecticut.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  continental  congress  in  1774,  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  address  to  the 
king  in  that  year,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and  one  of  the 
committee  who  drafted  that  document.  He  was  also  one  of  the  signers  of 
the  articles  of  confederation  and  of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States. 
He  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  person  who  signed  all  four  of  these 
great  state  papers  in  the  early  history  of  the  country;  in  fact  no  other  signed 
three  of  them.  From  1791  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  member  of 
the  United  States  senate,  and  was  also  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  Con- 
necticut.    He  had  graduated  in  Yale  College  with  the  degree  of   Master  of 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  501 

Arts,  and  was  a  most  scholarly  and  diplomatic  statesman.  He  left  the  impress 
of  his  strong  individuality  upon  the  new  republic  and  took  a  leading  part  in 
formulating  its  policy.  He  was  the  grandfather  of  three  United  States  sena- 
tors, his  daughter  Rebecca  being  the  mother  of  Roger  Sherman  Baldwin,  who 
was  governor  of  Connecticut  and  a  member  of  the  United  States  senate; 
Mehitable,  another  daughter,  was  the  mother  of  William  M.  Evarts,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  senate;  and  Sarah,  the  third  daughter,  was  the  mother  of  Frisbie 
Hoar,  United  States  senator,  and  the  late  E.  Rockwood  Hoar,  judge  of  the 
supreme  court  of  Massachusetts.  Roger  Minot  Sherman,'  the  eminent  jurist 
of  Fairfield,  Connecticut,  was  also  a  relative  of  the  same  family. 

Roger  Sherman,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  likewise  a  native  of 
New  Haven,  Connecticut,  and  there  spent  his  entire  life.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Prescott  &  Sherman,  prominent  merchants,  who  were  exten- 
sively engaged  in  trading  with  the  West  Indies.  He  died  at  an  advanced  age. 
In  1801  he  married  Susanna  Staples,  who  was  born  August  i,  1778,  and  died 
November  22,  1855.  She  was  a  sister  of  the  great  lawyer,  Seth  P.  Staples, 
and  the  granddaughter  of  Hannah  Standish,  whose  grandfather  was  Miles 
Standish,  one  of  the  colonial  governors  of  Massachusetts. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Edward  Standish  Sherman,  was  born  in  New 
Haven,  Connecticut,  and  there  spent  his  early  life.  In  his  younger  manhood 
he  began  dealing  in  iron  and  other  metals.  He  removed  to  Fairfield,  Con- 
necticut, where  he  made  his  home  the  greater  part  of  the  time  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1882.  He  was  quite  successful  in  his  business  dealings, 
but  at  the  time  of  the  civil  war  met  with  heavy  losses.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Republican,  and  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Union  League  Club, 
of  New  York  city.  He  married  Catharine  Augusta  Townsend,  of  Boston,  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  Solomon  David  and  Catharine  (Davis)  Townsend.  Her 
father  was  an  eminent  surgeon  of  Boston,  and  in  his  honor  the  Townsend 
ward  in  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital  was  named.  Mrs.  Sherman's 
grandparents  were  Dr.  David  and  Elizabeth  (Davis)  Townsend,  and  the  for- 
mer was  a  son  of  Shippie  Townsend  and  a  grandson  of  David  Townsend. 
Mrs.  Sherman  is  still  living,  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-three  years,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  In  their  family  were  eleven  children, 
ten  of  whom  are  still  living. 

Frederick  William  Sherman,  the  honored  representative  of  the  family 
of  Rye,  New  York,  was  born  at  No.  42  East  Thirty-first  street,  New  York 
city,  February  10,  1862,  and  spent  his  childhood  days  in  Fairfield,  Connect- 
icut, until  about  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Rye,  New  York.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  Park  Institute  of  Rye,  and,  having  determined  to  make  the  prac- 
tice of  law  his  life  work,  completed  a  course  of  study  by  his  graduation  in 


502  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

the  Columbia  Law  School  of  New  York,  in  1883.  He  then  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  New  York,  where  he  remained  for  four  or  five  years, 
after  which  he  opened  an  office  in  Port  Chester,  near  Rye,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home  in  a  sightly  residence  recently  built  by  him  and  overlooking 
Long  Island  sound.  He  practiced  in  Port  Chester,  in  White  Plains  and  in 
Rye,  and  now  has  a  distinctively  representative  clientage.  Since  his  arrival 
in  the  county  he  has  been  connected  with  much  of  the  important  litigation 
heard  in  the  courts,  and  is  attorney  for  the  local  street  railroad  company  and 
other  local  corporations.  To  an  understanding  of  uncommon  acuteness  and 
vigor,  he  added  a  thorough  and  conscientious  preparatory  training.  His 
preparation  of  cases  is  exhaustive;  he  seems  almost  intuitively  to  grasp  the 
strong  points  of  law  and  fact;  his  arguments  are  forcible  and  his  logic  con- 
vincing, while  his  familiarity  with  the  facts,  the  law  and  with  precedents  is 
comprehensive  and  accurate. 

Mr.  Sherman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Grace  Blanchard,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Anthony  Blanchard,  ex-surrogate  of  Albany  county  and  district  attorney 
for  Washington  county.  New  York.  Mr.  Sherman  is  a  member  of  the  Epis- 
copal church,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  In  the  fall  of -1892  he  was  the 
candidate  for  county  attorney,  but  the  entire  ticket  was  defeated  at  that  elec- 
tion. In  his  profession  he  has  attained  a  prominent  position,  and,  being  yet  a 
young  man,  still  greater  successes  are  probably  in  store  for  him.  His  hfe  has 
always  been  upright  and  honorable,  in  harmony  with  the  untarnished  record  of 
the  prominent  family  of  which  he  is  a  representative. 


JAMES  FENIMORE  COOPER. 

James  Fenimore  Cooper  is  another  distinguished  author  who  may  be 
included  among  the  literati  of  Westchester  county,  for  his  first  novel  was 
written  while  he  resided  at  Mamaroneck.  Cooper  was  born  at  Burlington, 
New  Jersey.  September  15,  1789.  His  father.  Judge  William  Cooper, 
removed  the  following  year  to  the  neighborhood  of  Otsego  lake,  New  York, 
where  he  had  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land,  on  which  he  established  a  set- 
tlement, to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Cooperstown.  In  this  frontier  home, 
in  the  midst  of  a  population  of  settlers,  trappers  and  Indians,  young  Cooper 
imbibed  that  knowledge  of  backwoods  life  and  of  the  habits  of  the  aborigines 
which  afterward  served  him  so  well  in  the  construction  of  his  romances.  At 
the  age  of  thirteen  he  entered  Yale  College,  and  after  remaining  there  three 
years  received  an  appointment  as  midshipman  in  the  United  States  Navy.  In 
the  latter  he  obtained,  during  the  six  years  of  his  service,  a  familiarity  with 
nautical  life  which  he  utilized  with  splendid  results  in  his  famous  sea 
stories. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  508 

In  1811  Cooper  resigned  bis  commission  in  the  navy  and  married  Miss 
De  Lancey,  a  member  of  the  well  known  New  York  family  of  that  name  and 
sister  of  the  bishop  of  western  New  York.  They  settled  in  the  village  of 
Mamaroneck,  in  Westchester  county,  and  not  long  afterward  Cooper's  mind 
was  accidentally  turned  to  the  field  of  fiction.  One  day,  after  reading  an  Eng- 
lish novel,  he  remarked  to  his  wife  that  he  believed  he  could  write  a  better 
story  himself.  To  test  the  matter  he  wrote  "Precaution."  He  had  not 
intended  to  publish  the  novel,  but  was  induced  to  do  so  by  his  wife  and  his 
friend,  Charles  Wilkes.  The  descriptions  of  English  life  and  scenery  gave 
it  great  popularity  in  England,  where  it  was  republished.  "  The  Spy,"  which 
followed,  was  as  thoroughly  American,  and  obtained  great  success,  not  only 
in  this  country  but  abroad.  It  was  almost  immediately  republished  in  all 
parts  of  Europe.  "  The  Pioneers  "  was  the  first  of  the  series  of  frontier  and 
Indian  stories,  on  which  the  novelist's  reputation  chiefly  rests.  It  was  fol- 
lowed by  "The  Pilot,"  the  first  of  the  sea  stories.  Other  novels  followed 
in  quick  succession,  and  Cooper's  reputation  grew  apace.  He  was  also 
sharply  criticized  and  became  involved  in  various  controversies,  which  cul- 
minated finally  in  a  series  of  libel  suits  against  his  detractors  in  the  news- 
papers. In  1826  he  visited  Europe,  and  upon  his  return  to  this  country 
made  his  home  at  Cooperstown,  New  York.  During  his  residence  abroad 
(1826-33)  he  was  everywhere  received  with  marked  attention.  His  literary 
activity  was  unchecked  by  his  wanderings,  and  during  his  stay  in  Europe  he 
wrote  a  number  of  novels.  After  his  return  to  this  country  he  wrote  the 
"Naval  History  of  the  United  States,"  which  excited  an  acrimonious  dis- 
cussion as  to  the  correctness  of  his  account  of  the  battle  of  Lake  Erie.  In 
one  of  his  libel  suits  Cooper  defended,  in  person,  the  accuracy  of  his  Version 
of  the  battle.  A  lawyer,  who  was  an  auditor  of  the  closing  sentences  of  his 
argument,  remarked,  ' '  I  have  heard  nothing  like  it  since  the  days  of 
Emmet." 

Cooper  continued  to  write  with  amazing  fertility  and  vigor  almost  to  the 
close  of  his  life,  which  was  terminated  by  dropsy,  September  14,  1851.  Not- 
withstanding his  defects  of  style,  his  romances  are.  conceded  to  be  among  the 
most  vivid  and  original  of  all  American  works  of  fiction.  He  was  the  first 
of  his  countrymen  who  obtained  a  wide  recognition  in  other  portions  of  the 
world.  His  works  were  translated  into  many  languages,  and  the  Indian  tales 
especially  were  universal  favorites  in  Europe.  The  great  French  novelist, 
Balzac,  said  of  him,  "With  what  amazing  power  has  he  painted  nature! 
How  all  his  pages  glow  with  creative  fire!  Who  is  there  writing  English 
among  our  contemporaries,  if  not  of  him,  of  whom  it  can  be  said  that  he  has 
a  genius  of  the  first  order.?  "  "  The  empire  of  the  sea,"  says  the  Edinburg 
Review,  "  has  been  conceded  to  him  by  acclamation;  "  and  the  same  journal 


504  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

adds,  "In  the  lonely  desert  or  untrodden  prairie,  among  the  savage 
Indians,  or  scarcely  less  savage  settlers,  all  equally  acknowledge  his  domin- 
ion."   

LEONARD    CHADEAYNE. 

This  gentleman  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential 
citizens  of  Westchester  county.  New  York.  He  was  born  on  the  old 
Chadeayne  homestead  in  this  county,  June  12,  1809,  passed  his  life  in  this 
vicinity  and  lived  to  a  venerable  ^age,  his  death  occurring  February  11,  1893. 

The  Chadeayne  family  has  long  been  identified  with  Westchester  county. 
Daniel  Chadeayne,  the  grandfather  of  Leonard,  was  one  of  the  f:rst  Demo- 
crats in  this  section  of  the  country.  His  son,  David,  our  subject's  father, 
was  born  in  Westchester  county,  October  11,  1766,  and  married  Miss  Han- 
nah Underbill,  whose  birth  occurred  January  6,  1772.  The  fruits  of  this 
union  were  ten  children,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  the  others  being 
John,  Julia,  Gilbert,  Susan,  Ann,  Leonard  and  Sanford.  The  mother  died 
in  1841,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years;  the  father,  in  1846,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-nine. 

Leonard  Chadeayne  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  was  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  all  his  life.  In  July,  1847,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ann 
Thorn,  a  native  of  Orange  county,  New  York,  reared  and  educated  in  Ulster 
county,  this  state,  daughter  of  Thomas  P.  and  Eliza  (Gerow)  Thorn.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thorn  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  viz.:  Eleanor,  wife  of 
John  Carpenter;  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch;  Esther  G. ;  and 
Jane,  wife  of  Amos  Brown,  of  Orange  county,  New  York.  Mrs.  Thorn  died 
at  the'age  of  seventy-six  years,  and  Mr.  Thorn  was  eighty-four  when  he  died. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chadeayne  became  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely:  Eliza- 
beth; Hannah,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  and  ten  months;  Thomas 
Thorn,  a  business  man  of  Sing  Sing,  New  York,  married  Harriet  E.  Young; 
David,  a  resident  of  Yorktown,  married  Ida  Acker,  and  has  one  son,  H.  Leon- 
ard; William,  a  business  man  of  Tarrytown,  married  Miss  Lotta  Palmer;  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Anson  Lee. 

Mr.  Chadeayne  was  a  man  who  throughout  his  life  bore  a  character  that 
was  above  reproach.  He  was  broad  and  liberal  in  his  religious  views,  and 
politically,  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  principles  advocated  by  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  was  a  good  citizen,  a  loving  and  dutiful  husband  and  an 
indulgent  father,  and  his  death  was  mourned  by  many  friends.  Mr.  Chade- 
ayne was  a  successful  financier,  and  frequently  was  chosen  as  executor  and 
administrator  m  the  settlement  of  estates,  etc.  He  was  a  most  worthy  and 
estimable  citizen,  and  his  domestic  life  stood  exemplary  of  all  that  belongs 
to  a  model  husband  and  father. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  505 


LEO  HENDRIK  BAEKELAND,   D.   Sc. 

No  pen,  however  facile  or  however  skillful  with  thought  that  moves  it, 
can  compete  in  its  portrayals  with  the  sun  ray.  This  swift  and  beautiful 
messenger,  robed  in  the  mysteries  of  sun  and  stars,  silent  in  its  ministry,  in 
an  instant  gives  the  picture,  and  the  picture  is  errorless.  Through  a  small 
opening  it  will  bring  in  the  landscape  and  throw  it  upon  the  screen.  It  will 
touch  the  sensitive  plate  and  leave  there  every  lineament  of  the  human 
face.  It  is  fleeter  than  muscular  movement,  or  steam,  or  even  electricity. 
To  the  eye  rapidity  of  motion  veils  the  object;  to  light  everything  is  still.  It 
writes  history  on  the  wing.  It  vestures  earth  and  sky,  the  infinitely  small 
and  the  infinitely  great,  and  tells  the  story  of  either  with  absolute  exactness. 
Nothing  more  clearly  establishes  nature's  willingness  to  divulge  her  secrets 
than  this  marvelous  ministry  of  the  sun's  ray.  "Know  me,  learn  my  ways 
and  behavior,  and  I  will  teach  you  all,"  is  the  new  "bow  of  promise"  of 
light  to  science.  A  direct  ray  of  light  not  only  pictures  but  it  analyzes.  It 
breaks  itself  up,  at  the  will  of  the  scientists,  into  innumerable  indices  of 
refrangibility,  detailing  a  separate  messenger  for  each  individual  story  it  has 
to  tell. 

He  whose  name  initiates  this  review  has  attained  distinction  in  the  scien- 
tific world,  as  the  result  of  his  well  directed  study,  investigation  and  careful 
experimental  work,  and  in  no  one  line  have  the  practical  results  of  his  efforts 
been  more  pronounced  and  effective  than  in  those  closely  allied  to  the  art  or 
science  of  photography.  Revelations  of  the  ultimate  possibilities  of  photgo- 
raphy  have  been  made  rapidly  within  the  past  decade,  and  Dr.  Baekeland 
has  contributed  in  no  small  measure  toward  the  advance  movement.  As 
identified  with  one  of  the  principal  industrial  enterprises  of  Westchester 
county, — an  enterprise  whose  ramifications  are  of  wide  extent  and  whose 
basis  may  be  properly  said  to  be  of  semi-scientific  character,  —  Dr.  Baeke- 
land merits  distinct  representation  in  this  work,  which  has  to  do  with  those 
•who  have  been  and  those  who  are  identified  with  the  specific  progress  of  this 
favored  county  of  the  old  Empire  state. 

Leo  Hendrik  Baekeland  is  a  native  of  Belgium,  having  been  born  in  the 
famed  old  city  of  Ghent,  on  the  14th  of  November,  1863,  the  son  of  Karel 
Lodewyk  Baekeland  and  Rosalia  Merchie.  His  preliminary  educational  dis- 
cipline was  received  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city,  the  capital  of 
East  Flanders.  He  next  became  a  student  in  the  Athenaeum  in  Ghent,  in 
which  institution  he  was  prepared  for  the  university.  In  the  evenings  he  at- 
tended the  free  lectures  of  the  Technical  School  of  Ghent,  taking  the  free 
yearly  course  in  chemistry  and  graduating  with  honors  in  1880.  Soon  after 
his  graduation  the  young  man  was  offered  the  position  of  assistant  chemist  at 


506 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 


the  State  Agricultural  Station,  but  as  he  wished  to  continue  his  studies  and 
to  attain  the  highest  possible  degree  of  proficiency,  he  declined  to  accept  the 
offer,  and  within  the  same  year  matriculated  in  the  University  of  Ghent,  a 
government  institution,  being  the  youngest  student  in  that  institution. 
On  entering  the  university  Dr.  Baekeland  took  up  the  course  of  study 
in  the  medical  department,  but  it  was  a  notable  fact  that  chemistry 
and  natural  sciences  bad  a  special  attraction  for  him,  and  to  these 
branches  he  devoted  himself  with  marked  interest  and  zeal.  After  having 
passed  the  two  examinations  for  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Sciences,  summa 
cum  laude,  he  attracted  the  attention  of  the  professors  of  the  faculty  of 
sciences,  and  a  position  as  laboratory  assistant  in  chemistry  was  tendered  to 
him  and  accepted,  whereupon  he  indefinitely  renounced  the  specific  study  of 
medicine  for  that  of  the  natural  sciences.  His  devotion  to  his  work  was 
earnest  and  unremitting,  and  in  1884  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Natural 
Sciences  was  conferred  upon  him.  He  also  obtained  a  special  diploma  in 
chemistry,  passing  both  examinations  siinima  cum  laude,  which  required  nine- 
ty-five per  cent,  of  the  maximum  points  allowable. 

Ambitious  to  learn  and  to  accomplish  something  in  a  practical  way,  Dr. 
Baekeland  prepared  himself  to  accompany  one  of  the  scientific  expeditions 
which  were  then  being  organized  for  the  exploration  of  the  upper  Congo,  but 
just  as  he  was  about  to  take  his  departure  for  the  wilds  of  Africa  he  received 
the  appointment  of  first  assistant  professor  of  chemistry  in  the  University  of 
Ghent,  and  that  of  professor  of  chemistry  and  physics  at  the  government 
Normal  School  for  Sciences,  which  was  then  located  at  Bruges.    These  note- 
worthy appointments  naturally  caused  him  to  abandon  his  proposed  trip  to 
Africa.     In  the  meanwhile  he  had  given  to  the  world  the  results  of  certain 
of  his  original  researches  in  the  field  of  pure  chemistry,  by  the  publication  of 
works  exploiting  said  researches, — notably,  "A  New  and  Analytical  Method 
for  the  Separation  of  Copper  and  Cadmium,"  "Researches  on  the  Oxydation 
of  Hydrochloric  Acid  Under  the  Influence  of  Light,"  "Dissociation  of  Nitrate 
of  Lead,"  etc.     In  1887  he  was  proclaimed  laureate  in  chemistry  of  the  four 
Belgian  universities,  in  a  competition  among  all  alumni  who  had  obtained 
within  the  three  preceding  years  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Sciences  at  any  on& 
of  the  universities.    The  work  which  earned  him  this  distinction  was  his  origi- 
nal researches  on  the  phenomena  of  chemical  dissociation.   The  prize  awarded 
consisted  of  a  gold  medal,  two  thousand  francs'  worth  of  books,  and  a  two- 
yearly  subsidy  of  two  thousand  francs,  for  traveling  and  visiting  foreign  uni- 
versities.    The  Doctor  visited  the  higher  institutions  of  learning  in  Germany, 
England   and  Scotland,  and  subsequently  the  University  of  Ghent  promoted 
him  to  the  rank  of  associate  professor  of  chemistry,  after  he  had  resigned  his. 
position  as  professor  in  the  normal  school  at  Bruges. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  50T 

From  bis  boyhood  Dr.  Baekeland  had  been  an  enthusiastic  amateur  pho- 
tographer, and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  his  wide  knowledge  of  chemistry 
enabled  him  to  work  out  the  best  results  in  the  production  of  negatives,  while 
his  appreciation  of  the  artistic  values  in  photography  eventually  led  him  to 
the  series  of  experiments  which  brought  about  the  establishing  of  the  Nepera 
Chemical  Company,  with  which  he  is  now  so  conspicuously  identified.  When 
the  dry  plate  was  invented  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  try  this  process,  which 
was  revolutionizing  photography.  It  so  happened  that  in  Ghent  several  large 
dry-plate  manufactories  were  established,  and  that  later  on,  when  Dr.  Baeke- 
land had  begun  to  gain  some  reputation  as  a  chemist,  he  was  frequently  con- 
sulted by  these  manufacturers  in  regard  to  the  technical  difficulties  encoun- 
tered. About  1888  he  took  out  a  patent  for  an  improved  dry  plate,  which 
could  be  developed  in  a  tray  of  plain  water.  At  the  time,  this  invention  was 
a  very  important  one,  and  created  a  sensation;  but  since  then  the  methods  of 
developing  dry  plates  have  been  enormously  simplified,  thus  diminishing  the 
importance  of  his  invention. 

In  1889  Dr.  Baekeland  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Celine  Swarts, 
the  daughter  of  Professor  Theodore  Swarts,  dean  of  the  faculty  of  sciences- 
at  the  University  of  Ghent,  and  within  the  same  year — during  his  summer 
vacation — he  came  to  the  United  States  for  the  first  time.  His  expenses 
were  paid  by  the  Belgian  government,  the  object  of  the  trip  being  to  visit 
some  of  the  more  important  American  universities  and  colleges  and  make  a 
report  on  same.  While  here  he  was  consulted  by  certain  chemical-manu- 
facturing firms,  securing  suitable  recompense  for  his  services.  He  asked  for 
an  extension  of  his  leave  of  absence,  and,  this  being  granted,  he  remained 
here  a  few  months  longer,  — "  long  enough,"  as  the  Doctor  says,  "to  become 
thoroughly  enthused  with  American  ideas  and  American  institutions."  When 
he  returned  to  Belgium  he  there  remained  for  a  time,  but  his  experience  in 
the  United  States  prompted  him  to  return  hither  and  to  try  his  fortunes  in 
the  New  World,  with  whose  spirit  of  progress  and  vitality  he  was  thoroughly 
in  sympathy.  He  accordingly  resigned  his  position  at  the  university,  the 
special  privilege  being  granted  him  by  the  Belgian  government  of  retaining 
his  rank  and  title  of  associate  professor  of  the  University  of  Ghent.  He 
returned  to  the  United  States  in  the  month  of  September,  1890,  and  estab- 
lished himself  as  a  consulting  chemist  in  New  York  city,  where  he  remained 
until  1893,  when  he  removed  to  Yonkers,  Westchester  county,  where  he 
became  associated  with  his  friend,  Leonard  Jacobi  (who  is  individually  men- 
tioned elsewhere),  in  the  organization  of  the  Nepera  Chemical  Company, 
whose  history  has  been  one  of  marked  and  merited  success.  At  a  later  date 
Albert  G.  C.  Hahn,  M.S.,  became  identified  with  the  enterprise,  and  the 
three  gentlemen  mentioned  constitute  the  official  corps  of  the  company, — 


508  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Mr.  Jacobi  being  president,  Dr.  Baekeland,  secretary,  and  Mr.  Hahn,  treas- 
urer. The  fine  manufactory  of  the  company  is  largely  devoted  to  the  pro- 
duction of  photgraphic  papers,  the  manufacture  and  the  final  manipulation  of 
which  are  based  on  original  and  improved  methods, — the  result  of  the  crit- 
ical investigation  and  practical  experimenting  on  the  part  of  the  subject  of 
this  review,  who  devotes  his  time  and  attention  to  laboratory  and  scientific 
work  having  a  bearing  on  the  continuous  improvement  of  the  processes  of 
manufacture  and  the  bringing  out  of  new  and  valuable  products.  Mr.  Jacobi 
devotes  his  attention  more  particularly  to  the  commercial  department  of  the 
enterprise,  promoting  and  expanding  its  interests  in  every  possible  direction, 
while  Mr.  Hahn  superintends  the  general  work  of  manufacturing.  The  com- 
pany has  not  satisfied  itself  with  the  limited  trade  derived  from  this  conti- 
nent, but  has  established  a  large  export  business,  there  being  hardly  a  civil- 
ized country  in  which  the  products  of  the  factory  are  not  to  be  found.  The 
leading  product  is  the  celebrated  "  Velox  "  paper,  whose  superiority  over  all 
other  photographic  papers  manufactured  either  in  this  country  or  abroad 
can  not  be  doubted.  It  is  hardly  in  the  province  of  this  article  to  enter  into 
details  in  regard  to  Velox  paper,  but  it  is  certainly  demanded  that  a  brief 
mention  of  the  same  be  made,  since  it  represents  the  practical  outcome  of 
careful  study  and  work  on  the  part  of  Dr.  Baekeland. 

In  a  little  brochure  issued  by  the  company  the  superior  claims  of ' '  Velox  " 
are  presented  in  a  very  attractive  way,  and  from  the  introductory  paragraph 
we  make  the  following  extracts: 

Ordinary  processes  of  printing,  toning  and  fixing  are  slow,  dirty  and  uncertain.  They 
require  sunshine,  patience,  persistent  attention;  unpleasant,  uncertain  and  expensive  chemical 
processes,— in  other  words,  time  and  outlay.  A  process  which  is  quick,  simple,  certain  and 
independent  of  sunlight,  increases  the  profits  of  the  professional  and  the  pleasure  of  the  ama- 
teur. Velox  paper  does  not  require  sunlight,  complex  chemical  processes  or  time.  It  prints 
by  sunlight,  daylight,  gaslight,  or  any  light  as  fast  as  frames  can  be  filled.  It  requires  no  toning 
and  no  long  and  tedious  chemical  manipulation.  It  is  clean,  easy,  simple  and  certain.  Velox 
paper  conquers  technical  difficulties  due  to  imperfect  methods,  and  thereby  gives  sole  promi- 
nence to  the  artistic  element,— that  which  makes  photography  an  art  instead  of  a  handicraft. 

In  short,  the  mere  fact  that  the  paper  is  susceptible  to  the  influence  of 
slow  light  is  sufficient  to  cause  it  to  supplant  all  papers  hitherto  used,— the 
uncertainty  of  printing,  owing  to  unfavorable  light,  having  seriously  handi- 
capped all  professional  photographists  who  have  had  recourse  to  the  ordinary 
types  of  photographic  paper.  But  superadded  to  this  point  of  great  superior- 
ity justly  claimed  for  Velox  are  others  of  almost  equal  importance  to  the 
artist.  The  simple  method  employed  in  bringing  the  prints  into  condition 
for  final  mounting  is  such  that  the  entire  processes  of  printing,  toning  and 
fixing  may  be  accomplished  in  less  time,  and  with  no  complicated  chemical 
combinations,  than  any  one  of  the  three  portions  of  the  work  would  require 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  509 

with  the  ordinary  aristo  or  albumen  papers.  Again,  the  full  values  of  the 
delicate  chiaroscuro  of  the  negative  are  preserved  with  even  greater  fidelity 
than  in  the  albumen  paper,  which  has  in  this  regard  always  surpassed  the 
more  modern  aristo  products,  while  the  Velox  insures  practical  permanency 
in  every,  print  made  thereon, — there  is  no  fading  or  disintegration.  More 
need  not  be  said  in  regard  to  the  result  of  the  labors  of  Dr.  Baekeland  along 
this  particular  line. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Baekeland  to  Miss 
Swarts,  and  in  conclusion  we  may  note  that  to  them  three  children  have 
been  born:  The  first  child  was  born  in  Belguim  after  the  return  of  the  Doc- 
tor to  that  country  after  his  first  visit  to  the  United  States,  the  death  of  the 
first-born  occurring  in  Yonkers,  after  his  removal  here.  In  this  city  were 
born  his  son,  George  Washington  Baekeland,  and  his  little  daughter,  Nina, 
both  of  whom  lend  brightness  and  cheer  to  the  attractive  home,  which  is  a 
center  of  refined  hospitality. 


JOHN  M.  FURMAN,  A.  M. 


John  M.  Furman,  A.  M. ,  principal  of  the  Irving  Institute,  in  Tarrytown,^ 
New  York,  is  recognized  as  an  educator  of  high  standing.  During  the  eight 
years  of  his  connection  with  the  well  known  institution  just  mentioned  he  has- 
abundantly  proven  his  genius  and  special  aptitude  in  the  noble  field  of 
endeavor  which  he  has  chosen  to  be  his  life  work.  Year  by  year  he  has 
found  it  necessary  to  increase  the  facilities  of  the  institute,  the  patronage  of 
which  is  perceptably  gaining,  and  one  of  his  aims  being  to  provide  the  pupils 
entrusted  to  his  care  with  every  educational  appliance  and  advantage  possi- 
ble and  practicable. 

Forty-five  years  ago  the  Irving  Institute  was  founded,  and  each  year 
since  then  it  has  sent  representatives  to  the  leading  colleges  and  educational 
institutions  of  this  country.  The  various  buildings  of  the  schools,  erected 
expressly  for  the  purposes  of  the  institute,  are  well  lighted  and  heated  with 
modern  methods  and  all  the  conveniences  of  this  enlightened  age  add  to  the 
comfort  and  well-being  of  the  pupils.  The  buildings  are  situated  in  the  out- 
skirts of  Tarrytown,  on  high  ground,  and  the  beauty  of  the  surrounding 
country  and  the  healthfulness  of  the  location  are  among  the  favorable  feat- 
ures. A  gymnasium,  erected  in  1898,  is  equipped  for  thorough  physical 
exercise  and  development,  and  is  under  the  direction  of  a  competent 
instructor. 

The  fortunate  students  of  Irving  Institute  are  considered  as  members  of 
the  principal's  household,  and  particular  pains  is  taken  that  only  boys  and 
youths  of  good  family  and  moral  training  be  admitted  here.     Excellent  dis- 


510  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

cipline,  sufficiently  lenient,  yet  firm  and  judicious,  is  maintained,  and  incor- 
rigible pupils  are  not  permitted  to  remain  in  the  school.  In  every  respect 
the  institute  sustains  its  well-earned  reputation  of  being  a  model  school  for 
boys,  as  thousands  of  testimonials  from  leading  families  of  this  and  other 
states  have  voluntarily  testified.  The  able  corps  of  instructors  in  the  various 
branches  of  learning  are  headed  by  the  genial  and  popular  gentleman  whose 
name  stands  at  the  beginning  of  this  review.  With  an  elective  system  of 
studies  to  cover  the  admission  requirements  of  all  colleges,  all  of  the  benefits 
of  individual  and  class  training  are  to  be  found  here.  Recently  a  new  build- 
ing, containing  a  library  and  sixteen  additional  students'  rooms,  has  been 
added.  The  main  building  is  large  and  cheerful,  and  the  grounds  afford 
splendid  opportunities  for  all  kinds  of  out-door  sports. 

John  M.  Furman  was  born  in  Schenectady,  New  York,  September  30, 
1866.  He  received  his  preparatory  education  at  his  native  place,  and  in 
1889  graduated  from  Union  College.  In  1892  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts 
was  conferred  upon  him  by  his  alma  mater.  His  high  standing  and  scholar- 
ship led  to  his  being  tendered  the  position  of  principal  of  the  public  schools 
of  Cambridge,  New  York,  which  position  he  held  for  two  years.  In  1891 
he  became  principal  of  Irving  Institute.  Here  he  has  ample  scope  for  his 
financial  ability  as  well  as  his  skill  as  a  teacher  and  manager,  and  in  each  of 
these  departments  of  power  he  has  met  the  requirements  and  added  fresh 
laurels  to  his  name.  Parents  and  pupils  alike  attest  his  worth  and  popularity, 
and  few  indeed  possess  in  greater  degree  the  knowledge  of  the  successful 
management  of  growing  boys.  The  influences  of  a  refined  Christian  home 
surround  the  pupils,  and  every  effort  is  made  to  inculcate  in  them  upright 
principles  and  high  standards  of  action,  which  will  be  their  mainsprings  of 
■conduct  throughout  years  to  come. 


WASHBURN  BROTHERS. 


These  well  known  contractors  and  builders  of  Peekskill,  New  York,  have 
been  successfully  engaged  in  business  for  the  past  eighteen  years,  and  on  all 
sides  are  seen  many  notable  examples  of  their  skill.  The  firm  is  composed 
of  Harvey  M.  and  Silas  W.  Washburn,  and  during  the  busy  season  they  often 
employ  as  many  as  thirty  men.  Thoroughly  reliable  in  all  things,  the  quality 
of  their  work  is  a  convincing  test  of  their  personal  worth,  and  in  business 
circles  they  occupy  an  enviable  position. 

These  brothers  are  sons  of  Henry  S.  and  Margaret  (Green)  Washburn, 
in  whose  family  were  five  children,  all  still  living,  namely:  Harvey  M. ;  Silas 
W. ;  Josephine,  wife  of  A.  Donaldson,  of  New  Paltz,  Ulster  county.  New 
York;  George  J.,  who  is  engaged  in  business  at  Davenport,  Iowa;  and  Will- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  511 

iam,  a  carpenter  of  Peekskill.  During  the  greater  part  of  his  life  the  father 
was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  he  was  always  a  supporter  of  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy.  The  mother  was  an  earnest  and  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  church. 

Harvey  M.  Washburn  was  born  in  Dutchess  county,  New  York,  in  1848, 
and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  commenced  learning  the  carpenter's  trade, 
to  which  he  has  ever  since  devoted  his  time  and  attention  with  marked  suc- 
cess. He  was  married  at  Croton-on- Hudson,  July  24,  1874,  to  Miss  Isabella 
Purdy,  a  daughter  of  Silas  J.  Purdy,  a  farmer  at  that  place,  and  she  died 
leaving  three  children:  Edith,  Catherine  and  Marion.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Washburn  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  has  been  quite  prominently  identified 
with  local  affairs,  has  served  in  several  township  offices,  and  at  present  is 
filling  the  position  of  assessor. 

Silas  W.  Washburn  is  also  a  native  of  Dutchess  county,  born  in  1850, 
and  he  began  work  at  his  trade  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years.  On  the  i8th 
of  November,  1881,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza  L.  Lefferts, 
of  Sing  Sing,  by  whom  he  has  two  sons,  Ralph  L.  and  Randall  G.  Her 
father  died  when  she  was  a  child  and  her  mother  afterward  married  William 
Grant,  of  Sing  Sing.  Mr.  Washburn  takes  an  active  interest  in  political 
affairs,  and  as  a  pronounced  Democrat  he  is  prominent  in  political  circles. 
He  is  now  serving  as  president  and  trustee  of  the  fire  company  at  Peekskill. 
He  was  also  elected  member  of  the  board  of  water  commissioners  in  1898, 
and  is  now  serving  as  president  of  the  board.  The  brothers  are  both  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  citizens,  giving  their  support  to  all  measures  for  the 
public  good,  and  those  who  know  them  best  are  numbered  among  their 
warmest  friends. 


S.   WOOD  CORNELL. 


S.  W.  Cornell,  dealer  in  lumber  and  coal,  manager  of  the  Cornell  Lime 
Company,  manufacturers  of  snowflake  lime,  and  president  of  the  Nannanagan 
Ice  Company,  of  Pleasantville,  New  York,  is  entitled  to  distinction  as  one  of 
the  most  progressive  and  enterprising  business  men  of  Westchester  county. 
Upon  the  commercial  activity  of  a  community  depends  its  prosperity,  and 
the  men  who  are  now  recognized  as  leading  citizens  are  those  who  are  at  the 
head  of  extensive  business  enterprises.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  capabilities 
who  carries  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 

Mr.  Cornell  was  born  in  Ulster  county,  New  York.  November  26,  1854, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  T.  Cornell,  now  deceased.  His  mother,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Wood,  was  a  daughter  of  Stephen  Wood,  of 
Mount  Kisco,  New  York.     Our  subject,  one   of  a  family  of  three  children. 


512  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

was  reared  in  this  county,  attending  the  Mount  Kisco  schools  and  later 
boarding  schools  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York  and  Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Mr.  Cornell  is  a  most  energetic  and  wide-awake  business  man,  giving 
strict  attention  to  every  detail  of  the  business  under  his  control,  and  in  his 
undertakings  he  has  met  with  a  well  deserved  success.  He  is  now  treasurer 
of  the  Cornell  Lime  Company,  manufacturers  of  snowflake  lime  for  building 
and  chemical  purposes,  their  works  being  established  in  1865.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  popular  and  influential  men  of  his  community  and  his  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances  is  extensive.  Politically  he  is  an  enthusiastic 
Republican. 

HENRY  SWEET. 

The  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  New  Rochelle  Pioneer,  Henry  Sweet,  is 
one  of  the  influential  men  of  the  town,  and  we  take  pleasure  in  here  referring 
personally  to  him  in  presenting  a  brief  review  of  the  publication  of  which  he 
is  the  head. 

Looking  first  at  the  history  of  the  New  Rochelle  Pioneer,  we  find  it  was 
established  in  1859 by  John  Dyott,  an  Englishman,  an  actor,  who  had  settled 
in  this  country  some  years  before,  and  who  conducted  the  paper  for  a  number 
of  years.  Afterward  it  was  for  several  years  run  by  his  son  and  daughter,  the 
latter  now  being  Mrs.  A.  Major,  of  New  York  city.  In  1882  it  was  sold  to 
Charles  G.  Banks,  Esq. ,  who  subsequently  became  associated  with  Henry  C. 
Henderson,  under  the  firm  name  of  Banks  &  Henderson,  and  from  this  firm- 
it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Steadman  &  Sweet.  In  the  year  1885  the  senior 
partner  conducted  it  until  his  death,  in  1889,  after  which  his  wife  assumed 
her  husband's  interests,  and  the  paper  was  edited  by  Mr.  Sweet  until  March 
I,  1890.  Then  Mr.  Sweet  purchased  Mrs.  Steadman's  interests,  and  has 
since  been  sole  proprietor.  In  1897  he  erected  his  new  building,  a  brick 
structure,  thirty-two  by  ninety  feet,  and  two  stories  high,  and  in  March,  1898, 
moved  into  it,  now  having  a  modern  and  complete  establishment. 

The  Pioneer  is  an  eight-page,  six-column  paper,  up  to  date  in  every 
respect,  has  a  large  circulation  in  the  town  and  county,  and  is  the  organ  of  the 
Republican  party  of  the  village. 

Mr.  Sweet  is  a  native  of  New  Rochelle.  He  was  born  in  this  town,  June 
28,  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Eliza  Sweet,  natives  of  London,  Eng- 
land. His  parents  came  to  New  Rochelle  in  1853,  where  his  father  died  in 
1869,  his  mother  still  residing  there.  For  eight  years  his  father  was  sexton 
of  Trinity  church.  New  Rochelle,  which  position,  after  his  father's  death,  has 
been  held  continuously  up  to  the  present  day  by  his  eldest  brother,  Joseph. 
After  coming  to  New  Rochelle,  Mr.  Sweet's  father  was  a  manufacturer  of 
seals  for  legal  papers  of  various  kinds  in  the  employ  of  Thaddeus  Davids- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  513 

&  Company,  whose  place  of  business  is  at  127  and  129  William  street,  New 
York  city. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  town.  On  leaving  school  he  was  employed  at  different  places  in  the 
town  until  he  became  connected  with  the  newspaper  business,  in  which  capacity 
he  has  proven  himself  master  of  the  situation. 

He  was  j:narried,  in  1894,  to  Miss  Lucy  Kirchhoff,  second  daughter 
of  Joseph  Kirchhoff,  an  old  resident  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  New 
Rochelle.     They  have  one  daughter. 


FRANK  R.   HOLMES. 

Holding  rank  among  the  leading  business  men  of  Mount  Vernon,  Frank 
Riggs  Holmes  is  well  known  intommercial  circles  and  sustains  a  high  reputa- 
tion for  reliability  and  enterprise.  He  was  born  in  New  York  city,  January 
16,  1868,  a  son  of  Wilham  and  Lizzie  (Kerchof)  Holmes.  The  ancestry  of 
the  family  can  be  traced  back  to  Francis  Holmes  and  his  wife.  Ann,  who  leav- 
ing their  home  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1660,  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America 
and  took  up  their  residence  in  Stamford,  Connecticut.  Later  they  removed 
to  Bedford,  Weschester  county.  New  York,  becoming  pioneer  settlers  of  that 
locality.  One  of  their  sons,  James  Holmes,  a  direct  ancestor  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Waterbury,  Connecticut,  and  John  Holmes,  Sr.,  became  one  of 
the  original  proprietors  of  Bedford  in  1681.  He  had  six  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, and  died  in  1720,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Richard  Holmes  married 
Miss  Mary  Miller,  and  the.y  "reside  in  the  town  of  Bedford,  Westchester 
county.  He  served  as  tax  collector  in  1724,  and  later  participated  in  the 
French  and  Indian  war.  One  of  his  sons,  Richard  Holmes,  was  a  lieutenant 
in  the  British  army  in  1737,  and  was  the  father  of  Peter  Holmes,  who  married 
Mary  Holmes,  and  served  his  country  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  held 
the  rank  of  ensign,  and  later  he  again  entered  his  country's  service  in  the  war 
of  1812.  John  Holmes,  a  son  of  Peter,  was  born  December  31,  1752,  also 
loyally  espoused  the  cause  of  independence  as  a  Revolutionary  hero  and  was 
at  one  time  a  member  of  the  continental  congress.  He  married  Catherine 
Slawson,  May  13,  1779,  and  died  December  24,  1839.  One  of  his  sons, 
James  Holmes,  was  born  May  27,  1784,  married  Elizabeth  Starr,  and  died 
in  Monticello,  New  York,  in  1817. 

William  A.  Holmes,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Bedford,  and  after  attaining  to  man's  estate  became  engaged  in  the  real- 
estate  business  in  New  York  city.  He  possessed  splendid  business  and  exec- 
utive   ability,   and  by  his   judicious   investments    and   careful   management 

amassed  considerable  property.     The  latter  years,  of  his  life  were  spent  in 
33 


514  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

retirement  from  business  cares,  in  his  pleasant  home  in  Mount  Vernon.  In 
his  political  views  he  was  a  stanch  Republican,  and  while  residing  in  Dutphess 
county,  New  York,  he  held  the  office  of  judge.  He  first  married  a  Miss  Brill, 
and  their  son,  James  Henry  Holmes,  is  ex-secretary  of  the  territory  of  New 
Mexico,  and  is  now  a  prominent  lawyer  and  real-estate  dealer  of  New  York 
•  city.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Judge  Holmes  married  Alta  Riggs,  who 
is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Their  children  .were  William; 
-Agnes,  wife  of  Robert  Taylor,  a  physician  of  New  York  city;  and  Herbert, 
who  is  living  a  retired  life  in  Mount  Vernon.  Betsy  Holmes,  the  wife  of  a 
"Mr.  Squires,  who  served  in  the  Revolution,  lived  to  be  one  hundred  and  two 
years  of  age. 

William  Holmes,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Poughquag, 
Dutchess  county,  in  December,  1844,  attended  the  district  schools  of  that 
meighborhood,  and  the  public  schools  of  New  York  city.  There  he  engaged 
an  business  with  his  father,  and  subsequently  became  the  owner  of  consider- 
■able  property.  For  some  time  he  carried  on  the  grocery  trade  at  the  corner 
of  Fortieth  street  and  Sixth  avenue,  but  in  1887  he  removed  with  his  family 
to  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  has  since  conducted  a  large  and  profitable  gro- 
cery and  dairy  business.  He  has  admitted  his  son  Frank  to  a  partnership, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Holmes  &  Son,  and  the  firm  ranks  foremost  among 
the  leaders  in  the  line.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican,  socially  he 
ds  connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  in  his  religious  views  he  is  a 
Presbyterian.  He  was  also  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  old  volunteer  fire 
department  of  New  York  city.  He  has  two  sons,  Frank  R.  and  Robert  Wal- 
lace, the  latter  an  electrician,  formerly  with  the  Edison  Electric  Company, 
but  now  a  resident  of  Denver,  Colorado. 

Frank  Riggs  Holmes  pursued  his  education  in  the  pubhc  schools  of  New 
York  city  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1888.  He  then  engaged  in 
the  brush-importing  business  in  the  metropolis  for  a  time,  and  later  was  con- 
nected with  other  enterprises.  In  the  meantime  he  had  become  interested 
in  the  grocery  and  dairy  business  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  in  1897  removed  his 
family  to  this  city,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  now  devotes  his  attention 
almost  exclusively  to  the  conduct  of  their  extensive  trade.  They  have  a  large 
and  well  appointed  grocery  store  and  employ  three  wagons  in  the  dehvery  of 
their  goods.  They  also  have  a  number  of  wagons  used  in  delivering  their 
dairy  products  to  the  customers,  their  trade  in  that  line  being  larger  than  that 
of  any  other  dairy  firm  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Holmes  was  married  on  the  7th  of  June,  1892,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Miss  Grace  S.  Baily,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Ann  M.  (Scott)  Baily. 
Her  father  is  engaged  in  the  leather  business  in  New  York  city,  and  is  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Seventh  Regiment,  New  York  State  National  Guard.   Mrs.  Holmes 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  515 

is  an  only  daughter,  and  by  her  marriage  -she  has  two  children,  Dorothy 
Anna  and  Frank  R.  Mr.  Holmes  and  his  family  occupy  a  very  fine  residence 
on  Clinton  Place,  Chester  Hill,  Mount  Vernon,  and  their  home  is  the  center 
of  a  cultured  society  circle.  Mr.  Holmes  is  a  member  of  Hiawatha  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Golden  Rod  Council,  Royal  Arcanum.  His  political  sup- 
port is  given  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party,  but  office-hold- 
ing has  had  no  attraction  for  him,  his  attention  being  fully  occupied  with  his 
extensive  business  interests  and  his  social  duties.  His  genial  manner  renders 
him  popular  in  all  circles,  and  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  and  valued 
citizens  of  Mount  Vernon. 


EZRA  M.  POWELL. 


Ezra  Marshall  Powell,  of  Cortlandt  township,  Westchester  county. 
New  York,  was  born  in  this  county,  December  29,  18 19,  the  son  of  Stephen 
Powell  and  grandson  of  John  Powell.  John  Powell  was  of  Scotch  descent, 
and  both  he  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  lived  for  many  years  at  Somerstown, 
Westchester  county,  of  which  place  they  were  early  settlers,  and  there  they 
died  and  were  buried.  Stephen  Powell  was  born  in  Somerstown.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Fanny  Hyatt,  daughter  of  Samuel  Hyatt,  of  Westchester  county, 
and  to  them  were  born  nine  children,  viz. :  David,  Daniel,  Stephen,  Joseph, 
William,  Ezra  M.,  Deborah,  Earl  and  Mary.  All  of  this  large  family  are 
deceased  except  Ezra  M.,  the  subject  of  our  sketch.  The  mother  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  years,  and  the  father  was  eighty-two  when  he  died. 
He  was  a  man  of  many  sterling  qualities,  was  by  occupation  a  farmer,  and 
in  religion  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  commonly  designated 
Quakers. 

Ezra  M.  Powell  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  county,  and 
farming  has  been  his  life  work.  He  was,  however,  for  some  time  interested 
in  the  insurance  business.  For  the  past  thirty-two  years  he  has  hved  on  his 
present  farm,  formerly  known  as  the  Thonell  Jacobs  farm.  It  consists  of 
twenty  acres,  is  located  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  village  of  Peekskill,  and 
is  under  a  most  perfect  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Powell  was  married  in  Cortlandt  township,  November  20,  1849,  to 
Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Miller,  a  native  of  this  township  and  a  daughter  of 
Cornite  Miller.  They  have  had  three  children:  Louisa,  who  died,  aged 
eleven  years;  and  Fanny  and  Hattie.  Fanny  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Yellott. 
Hattie  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  Pugsley,  who  died,  leaving  his  widow  with 
two  children.  Flossy  and  Winnie.  Mrs.  Pugsley  lost  one  child,  Lilian,  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years  and  six  months.  Mr.  Powell's  daughter,  Fanny, 
was  educated  in  the  State  Normal  School  at  Albany,  New  York.    Mr.  Powell 


516  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

and  his  family  are  all  consistent  members  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  church  at 
Peekskill. 

Mr.  Powell  has  served  as  commissioner  of  highways  in  Cortlandt  town- 
ship for  three  terms  of  three  years  each,  and  is  a  very  worthy  citizen. 
Politically  he  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party. 


JAMES  HOPKINS. 

James  Hopkins,  of  Armonk,  Westchester  county,  was  born  March  i, 
1830,  in  the  county  in  which  he  now  lives  and  in  which  he  has  made  his  home 
to  the  present  time.  He  traces  his  ancestry  back  in  a  direct  line  to  England 
and  to  the  year  16 16. 

Thomas  Hopkins,  a  son  of  William  and  Joanna  (Arnold)  Hopkins,  was 
born  in  England,  April  7,  1616,  and  came  to  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  about 
1640.  He  had  three  sons.  With  his  daughter-in-law  and  her  two  children 
he  removed  to  Little  Neck,  near  Musketo  Cove,  now  called  Glen  Cove,  Long 
Island,  and  died  there  in  1684.  His  children  were  Ichabod,  who  married 
Sarah  Coles  and  died  in  1726,  leaving  children:  Thomas,  who  married  Mar- 
garet Pine  in  1738;  Daniel,  who  married  Anny  Weeks;  Elizabeth,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Benjamin  Birdsall  in  1734;  Ann,  who  never  married;  and 
Sarah,  who  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Merritt  in  1736. 

Thomas,  the  son  of  Ichabod,  moved  to  the  town  of  North  Castle,  Ne~w 
York,  about  the  year  1740.  The  children  of  Thomas  and  his  wife  Margaret 
were  Thomas,  Daniel,  Benjamin,  Margaret,  Naomy  and  Ann.  Thomas,  the 
son  of  Thomas,  was  born  in  1740,  and  married,  January  14,  1767,  Zeruiah 
Palmer,  according  to  the  rules  of  order  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  at  their 
meeting-house  in  the  Purchase,  and  to  them  six  children  were  born,  namely: 
James,  born  October  14,  1767,  married  Mary  Tripp  and  died  August  29,  1859; 
Elizabeth,  born  June  5,  1769,  married  Job  Cox  and  died  September  30,  1828; 
Samuel,  born  June  8,  1771,  died  September  i,  1828;  Mary,  who  was  born 
August  14,  1773,  died  unmarried,  December  5,  1825;  Thomas,  Jr.,  who  was 
born  June  27,  1783,  died  July  17,  1837;  and  Pine,  who  was  born  February 
14,  1786,  married  Hannah  Tripp  and  died  August  29,  1856. 

James  Hopkins,  the  first,  married  Mary  Tripp,  and  to  them  were  born 
two  sons, — John  and  Alfred.  The  latter  married  Mary  Brower,  and  their 
union  was  blessed  in  the  birth  of  one  child,  Eleanor,  who  is  now  living  at 
Stamford,  Connecticut.  John  T.  Hopkins  married  Hannah  Dayton,  a  native 
of  the  same  county  in  which  he  was  born  and  a  daughter  of  David  and  Martha 
(Wood)  Dayton.  This  worthy  couple  became  the  parents  of  five  children, 
viz.:  Alexander,  deceased;  Ed.  R.,  also  deceased;  James,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Josephine,  deceased;  and  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  married  William  Ire- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  517 

land.  Their  father  was  a  merchant  and  a  farmer,  and  died  in  1868,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years;  their  mother  Hved  to  be  sixty  years  of  age.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

After  reaching  manhood  James  Hopkins  turned  his  attention  to  mer- 
chandising, and  from  1857  to  1880  kept  a  general  store.  He  has  for  years 
been  more  or  less  interested  in  pohtical  matters,  and  has  filled  a  number  of 
positions  of  prominence  and  trust  in  his  township.  His  first  presidential  vote 
was  cast  for  John  C.  Fremont,  in  1856,  and  he  has  ever  since  given  his  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party.  Among  the  offices  tendered  to  him  by  his 
party  are  those  of  postmaster,  which  position  he  accepted  and  filled  for 
twenty-three  years;  town  supervisor,  twelve  years,  and  was  chairman  of  the 
board  the  last  year  of  his  service;  and  township  clerk  and  justice  of  the 
peace.  He  resides  upon  a  farm  near  Armonk,  where  he  has  a  pleasant  and 
attractive  home,  which  he  is  pleased  to  call  Brookside. 

In  1850  Mr.  Hopkins  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Abram 
and  Caroline  Smith.  Her  father  was  a  well  known  and  popular  citizen  of 
Westchester  county  and  has  long  been  deceased.  Their  happy  union  lasted 
for  a  period  of  twenty-six  years  and  ended  with  her  death  in  1876, — the 
great  loss  in  Mr.  Hopkins'  life.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Of  the  five  children  born  to  them  only  two  are  living, — • 
Edwin  R.  and  Abram  S.  The  deceased  were  Josephine,  Carrie  and  James 
Warren.  Both  his  sons  are  married  and  settled  in  life.  Edwin  R.  married 
Miss  Cornelia  Davis,  and  they  have  two  children, — Floyd  and  Edwin.  Abram 
S.  married  Miss  Anna  Flewellin,  and  five  children  were  born  to  them:  Mary 
I.,  who  died  in  1897,  Niles,  Eulalia,  Gertrude  and  A.  Josephine. 

Since  1881  Mr.  Hopkins  had  devoted  his  energies  to  the  mastery  of  the 
business  of  farming,  the  most  ennobling  employment  in  the  world,  but  finds 
that  he  commenced  too  late  in  life  to  realize  the  best  results.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  Agricultural 
and  Horticultural  Society  of  Westchester,  county,  of  which  he  has  been 
president  for  the  last  two  years.  He  has  long  been  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church  at  Armonk,  and  as  a  member  of  the  building  committee 
assisted  in  the  erection  of  the  new  church  edifice,  which  is  one  of  the  attrac- 
tions of  the  village,  and  he  has  held  the  office  of  trustee  of  the  society  for 
many  years. 

REUBEN  BORLAND. 

Though  but  thirty-one  years  of  age,  Reuben  Borland,  one  of  the  native- 
born  sons  of  the  city  of  Yonkers,  occupies  a  position  of  responsibility  ^nd 
trust  such  as  few  young  men  of  his  age  are  honored  with.  The  confidence 
and  regard  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  employers,  however,  is  not  misplaced, 


518  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

for  no  one  could  have  a  more  thorough  sense  of  duty  or  more  earnest  desire 
to  meet  every  requirement  of  an  important  and  difficult  position  than  he,  and 
during  the  fifteen  years  of  his  service  for  his  firm  he  has  always  been  found 
faithful  to  their  interests,  active  and  anxious  to  promote  their  welfare. 

The  birth  of  Reuben  Borland  took  place  in  Yonkers  on  the  2d  of  March, 
1868.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Sarah  (Sloss)  Borland,  and  when  he  had 
attained  a  suitable  age  he  became  a  student  in  the  public  schools  of  this  city. 
He  was  graduated  here  in  1883  and  soon  afterward  entered  upon  his  business 
career.  Entering  the  employ  of  the  famed  Alexander  Smith  Carpet  Com- 
pany, he  began  at  the  bottom  rounds  of  the  ladder,  and  was  gradually  pro- 
moted from  spool-boy  in  the  sitting  department  to  one  and  another  position, 
and  finally  was  made  foreman  of  the  yarn  department.  Then,  having 
become  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  detail  of  the  sitting  department,  and 
having  served  for  four  or  five  years  as  assistant  foreman,  he  was  promoted  to 
the  post  of  foreman,  and  acted  in  that  capacity  until  1894.  For  the  past  four 
years  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the  great  "moquette"  mill,  where  he 
has  five  foremen  to  assist  him,  and  has  under  his  supervision  about  eighteen 
hundred  persons.  In  this  mill  are  manufactured  moquette  carpets,  the  hand- 
somest and  most  expensive  carpets  that  are  made.  The  Alexander  Smith 
Carpet  Company  has  a  world-wide  reputation,  and  is,  indeed,  the  most 
extensive  concern  of  the  kind  in  this  or  any  other  country.  Forty-five  hun- 
dred persons  are  employed  by  the  establishment,  and  the  carpets  which  are 
manufactured  here  find  their  way  into  every  portion  of  the  civilized  world. 
The  highest  possible  excellence  of  goods,  quality,  style  and  workmanship  is 
maintained,  and  thus  the  great  importance  of  Mr.  Borland's  position  is 
apparent.  He  duly  appreciates  the  high  esteem  in  which  his  superiors  hold 
him,  and  for  years  their  business  relations  have  been  of  the  pleasantest  and 
most  satisfactory  nature  all  around. 

In  local  society  Mr.  Borland  is  a  great  favorite,  and  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Hollywood  Gun  Club.  His  principal  diversion  in  his  leisure  moments, 
however,  is  music.  He  has  become  very  proficient  on  the  violin,  and  is 
taking  a  special  course  of  instruction  to  further  perfect  himself  in  the  use  of 
that  instrument.  In  political  affairs  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  is  liberal  in  his  gifts  to  religious  and 
charitable  enterprises. 

EDWARD  WHITE. 

To  a  student  of  human  nature  there  is  nothing  of  greater  interest  than 
to  examine  the  life  of  a  self-made  man  and  analyze  the  principles  that  he  has 
followed,  the  methods  he  has  pursued;  to  know  what  means  he  has  employed 
for  advancement,  and  to  study  the  plans  which  have  given  him  prominence, 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  519 

enabling  him  to  pass  on  the  highway  of  life  many  who  have  had  a  more 
advantageous  start.  Through  his  own  efforts  Mr.  White  has  attained  to  a 
position  of  prominence  in  business  circles,  and  he  is  to-day  a  leading  mer- 
chant and  undertaker  of  Croton,  New  York. 

He  was  born  in  that  place,  November  23,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  Patrick 
and  Margaret  (Cartigan)  White,  both  natives  of  Ireland,  the  former  born  in 
Queens  county,  the  latter  in  county  Kilkenny.  When  young  they  crossed 
the  Atlantic,  and  their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  New  York  city.  On  coming 
to  Westchester  county  they  located  on  the  sand  flat  below  the  old  Croton 
dam,  and  when  the  dam  gave  way  they  lost  all  their  property  and  barely 
escaped  with  their  lives.  The  father,  who  was  a  laborer,  died  in  the  prime 
of  life,  at  about  the  age  of  forty-seven  years.  In  his  family  were  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  are  now  deceased.  In  order  of  birth  they  are  as  follows: 
William,  who  was  foreman  in  the  brickyard  at  Virplanks,  and  is  now  deceased; 
Charles,  a  boatsman,  deceased;  Mary  Ann;  John,  deceased,  who  was  for  many 
years  captain  of  engine  No.  12,  fire  department,  New  York  city;  Catherine; 
Margaret;  Thomas,  a  grocer  of  Peekskill,  New  York;  Edward;  and  Elizabeth, 
who  is  deceased. 

At  the  early  age  of  nine  years  Edward  White  began  earning  his  own 
livelihood  as  an  employe  in  a  brick-yard,  and  he  continued  to  follow  that 
occupation  until  he  attained  his  majority,  during  which  time  he  saved  his 
money  and  assisted  in  caring  for  his  aged  mother.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
he  decided  to  embark  in  business  on  his  own  account,  in  connection  with  his 
brother  Thomas,  and  at  the  end  of  two  years  they  had  saved  from  their  earnings 
six  hundred  dollars,  after  having  paid  off  an  indebtedness  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  dollars.  With  this  capital  they  started  in  business,  spend- 
ing five  hundred  dollars  for  a  stock  of  groceries  and  liquors,  and  in  this  way 
the  present  mercantile  establishment  of  our  subjects  was  founded.  At  the 
end  of  about  four  years  they  dissolded  partnership  and  Edward  has  since 
been  alone.  He  has  a  good  general  store,  well  stocked  with  a  high  class  of 
goods,  and  since  1884  has  also  been  interested  in  the  undertaking  business, 
doing  the  only  business  in  that  line  in  the  village.  At  Sing  Sing  he  also 
established  a  business  similar  to  his  own  in  Croton,  and  in  partnership  with 
John  Dorsey  the  store  is  conducted  under  the  firm  style  of  White  &  Dorsey. 

Mr.  White  has  since  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Miss  Mary  Ann 
Vaughey,  and  she  and  the  three  children  born  to  them  all  died  within  a  few 
months.  His  second  union  was  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Donovan,  by  whom  he 
has  had  four  children,  Maggie,  Mamie  and  Catharine,  all  living,  and  one 
deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  are  communicants  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  but  Mr.  White  gives  liberally  of  his  means  to  the  support  of  all 
churches,  and  his  aid  is  never  witheld  from  any  enterprise  which  he  believes 


520  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

will  prove  of  good  to  the  community.  He  is  a  public-spirited,  progressive 
citizen,  broad-minded  and  liberal  in  his  views,  and  has  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  all  who  know  him.  The  Democratic  party  has  always  found  in 
him  a  stanch  supporter  of  its  principles,  and  he  has  been  an  influential  dele- 
gate to  its  various  county  conventions,  and  has  also  been  a  member  of  the 
town  committee  for  years.  For  five  or  six  years  he  filled  the  office  of  over- 
seer of  the  poor,  and  is  now  president  of  the  board  of  fire  commissioners. 


BENJAMIN  FAGAN. 


Mr.  Fagan,  who  is  a  well-known  attorney  of  Sing  Sing,  is  one  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  Westchester  county  bar,  but  his  prominence  is  by 
no  means  measured  by  his  years;  on  the  contrary,  he  has  already  won  a  repu- 
tation which  many  an  older  practitioner  might  well  envy. 

Mr.  Fagan  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  April  i,  1874,  and  is  a  son 
of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Guilfoil)  Fagan,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  and  who  now  reside  at  Sing  Sing.  The  father,  who  is  a  stone- 
cutter by  occupation,  is  of  Irish  descent  and  has  made  his  home  in  West- 
chester county  for  the  past  thirty  years.  In  the  family  are  six  children, 
namely:  Edward,  a  manufacturer  of  metallic  roofing  paint  at  Lincoln, 
Nebraska;  John,  a  resident  of  Westchester  county  and  a  member  of  the 
engineering  corps  of  New  York  city;  Frank,  a  stonecutter  of  Sing  Sing; 
Catharine  E.,  at  home;  Joseph,  also  a  stonecutter  of  Sing  Sing;  and 
Benjamin. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  first  attended  public  schools  and  later  a  pre- 
paratory school,  after  which  he  entered  Cornell  University  in  1892,  taking  a 
complete  course  in  law.  There  the  degree  of  LL.B.  was  conferred  upon 
him  June  21,  1894,  and  the  degree  of  LL.  M.  June  20,  1895.  In  the  latter 
year  he  opened  an  office  in  Sing  Sing,  and  has  since  successfully  engaged  in 
practice,  making  a  specialty  of  corporation  and  real-estate  law.  He  is  thor- 
oughly in  love  with  his  profession  and  is  eminently  gifted  with  the  capabihties 
of  mind  which  are  indispensable  at  the  bar.  As  a  Democrat  he  takes  quite 
an  active  and  prominent  part  in  political  affairs  and  is  an  efficient  campaign 
worker  in  this  state.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  of 
Sing  Sing. 

JAMES  F.  HUNT. 

The  well  known  and  popular  young  postmaster  of  Croton,  New   York, 

has  spent  his  entire  life  at  that  place,  his   birth   occurring  there  January  31, 

1869.     His  father,  John  Hunt,  was  a  native  of  Kings  county,  Ireland,  and 

was  twice  married,  having  by  his  first  wife  one  child.      In  New  York  city,  he 


//^^i^^^u^>^  v^J^^^a-^^^:, 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  521 

wedded  Miss  Ellen  McGuire,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  and  in  1866  they 
removed  to  Westchester  county,  where  he  worked  as  a  laborer  until  life's 
labors  were  over  and  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest,  in  1882.  In  religious 
faith  he  was  a  Roman  Catholic. 

The  schools  of  Croton  afforded  James  F.  Hunt  his  educational  advant- 
ages, and  when  his  school  days  were  over  he  engaged  in  various  forms  of 
labor.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he  commenced  working  at  brick-making 
and  while  thus  employed  attended  school  during  the  winter  months.  He 
made  excellent  use  of  his  opportunities  and  passed  the  required  examination 
at  North  Tarrytown  for  the  normal  course.  He  early  learned  that  knowledge 
is  the  key  with  which  the  poor  boy  anywhere  can  open  the  storehouse  of  the 
world  and  cull  its  choicest  fruits,  and  he  has  therefore  fitted  himself  to 
occupy  any  position  in  life  which  may  fall  to  his  lot. 

Mr.  Hunt  always  gives  his  political  support  to  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Democracy,  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  local  affairs.  On  the  25th  of 
May,  1895,  hs  was  first  appointed  postmaster  of  Croton,  and  when  the  office 
was  raised  to  that  of  the  third  class  he  was  reappointed,  October  i,  1896, 
and  on  the  expiration  of  his  commission,  in  February,  1897,  was  again 
appointed  to  the  same  position,  as  he  had  so  creditably  and  satisfactorily 
discharged  his  duties.  He  was  also  appointed  notary  public  in  May,  1897, 
by  ex-Governor  Black,  and  still  holds  that  office. 


JAMES  H.  JACKSON. 


True'  merit  is  recognized  sooner  or  later,  the  exceptions  simply  proving 
the  rule;  and  thus  it  has  been  in  the  case  of  James  H.  Jackson,  a  well  known 
citizen  of  Yonkers,  who  has  climbed  to  the  very  responsible  position  which 
he  now  occupies,  solely  on  account  of  his  genuine  business  ability  and  per- 
sonal worth.  His  superiors  in  the  great  commercial  house  with  which  he  is 
connected  feel  that  in  him  they  have  one  in  whom  they  can  place  implicit 
trust  and  confidence,  certain  that  he  will  not  neglect  the  least  of  his  duties, 
and  that  everything  which  he  agrees  to  accomplish  will  be  promptly  and  con- 
scientiously performed.  Such  employes  are  the  strong  foundations  on  which 
every  successful  business  is  reared,  and  the  great  and  prosperous  merchants 
=of  this  decade  acknowledge  this  fact  cheerfully  and  act  accordingly. 

James  H.  Jackson  comes  from  sturdy  Protestant-Irish  stock,  than  which 
there  is  none  better  nor  more  loyal  to  the  highest  motives  which  govern 
citizens  of  this  great  republic,  once  they  have  come  under  its  mantle  of 
protection.  James  Jackson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  the 
northern  part  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  there  growing  to  manhood.  He  learned 
the  trade  of  gardening  and  found  his   chief  pleasure   among  the  plants  and 


522  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

trees,  in  the  pure,  open  air,  for  he  was  a  great  lover  of  nature.  Coming  to 
the  United  States  when  a  young  man  he  followed  his  favorite  occupation 
during  his  entire  active  life — for  a  period  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  for 
about  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  New  York  city  and  Yonkers.  His  home 
was  in  this  city  for  several  decades  and  here  he  was  an  active  and  earnest 
member  of  Westminster  Presbyterian  church.  In  his  political  faith  he  was 
a  zealous  Republican.  He  enjoyed  the  esteem  and  genuine  regard  of  all 
who  knew  him.     The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Sarah  Matthews. 

The  birth  of  James  H.  Jackson  took  place  in  Riverdale,  now  a  part  of 
New  York  city,  April  22,  1858.  For  some  time  he  was  a  pupil  in  Yonkers 
school  No.  6,  but  when  he  was  a  lad  of  about  fourteen  he  left  his  studies 
and  commenced  working  in  the  hat  factory  of  John  T.  Waring,  being 
employed  there  for  some  three  years.  In  1885  he  became  connected  with 
the  Alexander  Smith  Carpet  Mills,  and  was  here  occupied  in  the  weaving  of 
chenille  by  hand,  and  later  he  secured  employment  in  the  dyeing  department 
of  the  moquette  mills  for  three  years.  Since  1894  he  has  held  the  position  of 
head  of  this  important  department,  and  has  under  his  supervision  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  men.  He  is  a  thorough  and  practical  master  of  his  trade,  and 
takes  special  pride  and  interest  in  the  excellence  of  the  work  turned  out  from 
his  branch  of  the  immense  establishment,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  carpet 
manufactories  m  the  world.  In  the  matter  of  politics  Mr.  Jackson  adheres 
to  the  creed  of  his  father,  and  renders  his  allegiance  to  the  nominees  and 
principles  set  forth  by  the  Republican  party. 

The  pleasant  and  thoroughly  attractive  home  of  our  subject  and  his 
recently  wedded  bride  is  one  in  which  their  numerous  friends  delight  to 
assemble,  for  the  hospitality  of  the  host  and  hostess  is  genuine  and  free  from 
ostentation.  Mrs.  Jackson  was  Miss  Mildred  J.  Bell,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
John  Bell,  a  respected  citizen  of  Yonkers,  and  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Jack- 
son was  solemnized  on  the  19th  of  October,  1898. 


REUBEN  BARNES. 


The  honored  subject  of  this  memoir  was  for  a  long  term  of  years  one  of 
the  prominent  and  most  respected  citizens  of  Yonkers,  with  whose  upbuild- 
ing and  material  prosperity  he  was  closely  identified,  while  in  all  that  con- 
serves the  uphfting  of  men  into  the  plane  of  right  living  he  was  ever  to  be 
found  zealous  and  earnest  in  doing  good  to  all,  ever  mindful  of  the  lofty  prin- 
ciples expressed  in  the  Golden  Rule.  He  lived  to  attain  the  venerable  age  of 
eighty-one  years,  passing  to  his  reward  at  the  close  of  a  well  spent  life,  secure 
in  the  lasting  esteem  and  veneration  of  those  who  had  come  within  the  influ- 
ence of  his  pure  and  unassuming  character. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  523- 

Reuben  Barnes  was  born  in  Preston,  near  Norwich,  Connecticut,  on  the- 
8th  of  July,  1810,. being  one  of  eleven  children.  When  twenty-two  years  of 
age  he  went  to  Mobile,  Alabama,  where  for  about  twelve  years,  as  architect. 
and  builder,  he  was  engaged  in  business  with  his  brother,  James  Barnes. 
There  also  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Mary  Hodge,  of  North  Adams, 
Massachusetts,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1837.  In  1884  he  returned  to 
the  north,  locating  in  Poughkeepsie,  New  York.  While  there  he  erected' 
many  buildings,  among  the  more  inportant  of  which  was  the  Cannon  Street 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  was  an  active  and  efficient  member. 

In  the  year  1852  Mr.  Barnes  removed  to  Yonkers,  where  for  nearly  forty 
years  he  was  actively  and  prominently  concerned  in  manufacturing  and  build- 
ing. He  was  animated  by  the  stanchest  integrity  in  thought,  word  and  deed, 
and  upon  his  business  career  as  well  as  his  private  life  there  rested  no  shadow 
of  wrong.  He  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  devoted  wife  in  the 
spring  of  1881.  She  was  born  in  North  Adams,  Massachusetts,  whence  her 
parents  eventually  removed  to  Michigan,  becoming  pioneers  of  Jackson 
county,  that  state,  where  all  the  other  children  of  the  family  also  located, 
becoming  prominent  and  substantial  citizens.  Of  the  large  family  of  brothers- 
and  sisters  only  one  is  now  surviving,  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Baker,  widow  of  Dr- 
Timothy  Baker,  of  Union  City,  Michigan.  At  the  time  of  Mrs.  Barnes'  death 
three  of  her  children  were  surviving,  namely:  Martha,  the  wife  of  James  B. 
Odell,  of  Yonkers;  Hiram  Barnes,  an  architect  and  builder  of  Yonkers;  and 
Mary,  who  is  unmarried.   Of  these  Mrs.  Odfell  died  on  the  21st  of  June,  1894. 

In  the  fall  of  1882  Mr.  Barnes  consummated  a  second  marriage,  being 
then  united  to  Miss  Nancy  Sample,  of  Norwich,  Connecticut,  who  survives 
him.  In  June,  1891,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnes  visited  Norwich  and  Preston, 
Connecticut,  and  while  in  his  native  place  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was 
taken  ill  and  at  once  returned  to  his  home,  188  Buena  Vista  avenue,  Yonkers, 
where  on  July  28,  1891,  he  was  compelled  to  yield  to  the  inexorable  sum- 
mons of  death,  passing  away  in  the  fullness  of  years  and  honors.  His  mortal 
remains  were  interred  in  St.  John's  cemetery.  While  in  Mobile  Mr.  Barnes 
was  soundly  converted,  and  thereafter  lived  an  earnest,  consistent  Christian 
life.  He  was  a  man  of  deep  convictions  and  was  endowed  with  a  courage 
sufficient  to  express  them,  but  his  entire  life  was  a  beautiful  lesson  of  charity 
and  good  will  to  all.  For  many  years  he  was  an  active  and  official  member 
of  the  first  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Yonkers,  and  when  the  Central 
Methodist  church  was  organized  he  became  an  earnest  and  zealous  member 
and  supporter  of  the  same,  being  at  one  time  president  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees. There  are  many  in  Yonkers  who  will  ever  revert  with  deep  respect 
and  affection  to  this  noble  and  kindly  pioneer,  whose  life  was  one  worthy  of 
emulation. 


524  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 


WILLIAM   OAKLEY  HOBBY. 

Mr.  Hobby  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  young  business  men  of  West- 
chester county,  his  success  in  the  past  few  years  being  nothing  short  of 
phenomenal,  yet  accounted  for  only  by  his  excellent  methods  of  transacting 
and  managing  his  financial  affairs.  He  deserves  great  credit  for  the  pros- 
perity and  high  standing  he  has  achieved,  and  the  future  for  him  is  one  of 
much  promise,  judging  from  what  he  has  alreadyaccomplished.  In  political 
matters  he  is  liberal,  using  his  ballot  for  the  nominee  whom  he  considers  best 
qualified  to  fill  any  given  position,  and  he  has  served  as  a  city  committee- 
man. For  the  most  part,  he  uses  his  franchise  in  favor  of  the  Democratic 
platform  and  party.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Hiawatha  Lodge,  F.  & 
A.  M. ;  of  Mount  Vernon  Encampment  of  St.  John  of  Malta;  the  Ancient 
Order  of  Foresters;  the  Mount  Vernon  City  Club,  and  at  the  .present  time  is 
a  member  of  the  Central  Hose  Company.  In  all  matters  affecting  the  city 
and  community  he  takes  zealous  interest,  his  influence  being  ever  given  to 
progress  and  improvements  in  all  lines. 

W.  O.  Hobby  is  a  son  of  James  R.  and  Kate  C.  (Gent)  Hobby,  and  was 
born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  February  i8,  1867.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  the  metropolis,  graduating  in  the  same.  He  then  entered 
the  employ  of  Acker,  Merrill  &  Condit,  of  New  York  city,  and  remained  with 
them  for  five  years,  thoroughly  learning  the  details  of  the  wholesale  liquor 
business.  Afterward  he  was  for  a  short  time  an  employe  of  Luyties  Brothers, 
of  the  same  city,  that  firm  being  in  the  same  line  of  trade. 

Seven  years  ago  Mr.  Hobby  came  to  Mount  Vernon  and  established  a 
bottling  plant  at  Boston  road  and  Third  avenue.  He  began  this  enterprise 
on  a  small  scale,  at  first  employing  but  one  wagon.  At  the  end  of  two  years 
his  business  had  doubled  and  two  wagons  were  necessary  to  deliver  his  goods, 
and  at  last  he  was  impelled  to  seek  increased  facilities  for  handling  his  large 
and  remunerative  trade.  Then,  for  a  few  years,  he  did  business  at  No.  37 
South  Fifth  avenue.  In  1898  he  was  again  obliged  to  extend  his  business 
and  increase  the  capacity  of  his  plant,  and  he  accordingly  organized  the 
Hobby  Bottling  Company,  of  which  he  is  the  president  and  general  manager. 
He  is  also  the  agent  and  collector  for  the  Henry  Zeltnor  Brewing  Company 
and  the  William  A.  Miles  Brewing  Company,  of  New  York  city. 

The  handsome  new  brick  building  which  the  Hobby  Bottling  Company 
occupies  at  Nos.  21,  23,  25  Prospect  avenue,  is  constructed  in  a  modern  man- 
ner, the  style  of  architecture  being  particularly  pleasing.-  The  front  is  of 
pressed  brick  and  the  building,  three  stories  in  height,  is  fifty  by  one  hundred 
feet  in  dimensions.  The  brick  stables  and  wagon-house  in  the  rear  of  the 
lot  are  thirty  by  one  hundred  feet  in  dimensions.     The  machinery  with  which 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  525' 

the  works  are  fitted  is  of  the  most  approved  modern  style,  every  possible 
device  for  convenience  and  rapidity  of  working,  etc.,  being  found  here. 
Everything  that  can  possibly  be  done  by  machinery  is  done,  and  the  high 
grade  of  the  goods  turned  out  here  is  all  the  proof  necessary  of  the  merits  of 
the  system  in  use.  Only  the  best  class  of  hotels  and  families  are  catered  to, 
and  only  the  finest  and  most  expensive  materials  are  utilized  in  the  manu- 
facture of  the  various  "soft"  drinks  and  other  styles  of  liquor  bottled  here. 
Tanglewylde  spring  water,  positively  pure  and  sweet,  and  Saratoga  spring 
gases  (in  use  in  carbonated  waters)  are  used  exclusively,  and  pure  fruit  syrups 
and  extracts  are  manufactured  in  the  plant,  by  cold  process,  in  porcelain 
tanks.  Two  carbonaters,  one  for  high,  and  one  for  low  pressure,  are  used, 
thus  keeping  the  waters  charged  absolutely  free  from  all  vitreous  and  marble 
dust.  From  the  time  when  the  pure  spring  water  enters  the  tanks  until  the 
sparkling  beverage  is  corked  and  labeled  in  the  special  bottles  of  the  company 
(corked  with  a  specially  fine  "Crown"  cork),  the  entire  process  is  carried  on. 
automatically.  This  finely-equipped  plant  cost  upwards  of  forty-seven  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  in  1897  one  hundred  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  business 
was  transacted  by  the  company.  In  the  manufacture,  sale  and  delivery  of 
the^beer,  ale  and  lager,  carbonated  waters,  "soft"  drinks,  etc.,  forty  men 
are  afforded  employment  and  fifteen  wagons  are  kept  running  continuously. 
The  firm  has  branch  agencies  at  Mamaroneck  and  White  Plains.  All  things 
considered,  the  works  here  are  as  complete  as  any  to  be  found  in  New  York, 
city  and  they  are  far  superior  to  many  of  the  bottling  establishments  in  vari- 
ous other  large  cities.  The  Hobby  Bottling  Company  contemplate  enlarg- 
ing their  plant  and  buildings  by  the  addition  of  another  floor  to  the  main 
building  in  the  spring  of  1899,  doubling  its  capacity. 

William  Oakley  Hobby  was  united  in  marriage,  July  14,  1887,  to  Miss 
Kate  Agnes  Rehil,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Rose  Rehil,  and  to  this  union 
have  been  born  three  children,  viz. :     Kate,  William  and  Charles. 


FRANCIS  J.   HACKETT. 


For  the  past  ten  years  Francis  James  Hackett  has  been  engaged  in  bus- 
iness in  Yonkers,  Westchester  county,  and  has  won  an  enviable  reputation 
for  square  dealing,  thoroughness  and  general  reliability.  He  is  quite  a  factor 
in  local  Democratic  politics,  and  is  now  representing  the  seventh  ward,  as 
an  alderman.  This  ward  is  the  largest  one  in  the  place,  comprising,  as  it 
does,  about  one-third  of  the  territory  covered  by  the  city,  and  its  importance^ 
therefore,  is  obvious.  Mr.  Hackett  was  elected  to  this  office  in  1897,  and 
has  been  in  thorough  sympathy  with  all  movements  of  public  improvement, 
judicious  expenditure  of  the  people's  funds,  and  progress  along  all  lines.   The- 


.526  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

same  good  judgment  which  he  exercises  in  the  management  of  his  own  busi- 
ness affairs  he  brings  to  bear  in  his  public  office,  and  thus  his  friends  and  the 
citizens  in  general  place  great  confidence  in  his  ability  and  wisdom.  Often 
he  has  been  delegated  to  attend  the  various  conventions  of  his  party,  and  for 
years  he  has  been  aggressive  in  the  support  of  the  banners  of  the  Democracy. 
He  belongs  to  the  Seventh  Ward  Democratic  Club  and  is  connected  with  the 
city  fire  department.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men  and  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 

Francis  J.  Hackett  is  one  of  the  eight  children  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth 
(Fitzpatrick)  Hackett,  five  of  the  number  being  sons.  He  was  born  Novem- 
ber 23,  1865,  in  the  city  of  New  York  and  there  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  and  parochial  schools.  When  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
left  his  studies  and  entered  upon  the  more  serious  business  of  life.  His  father 
was  a  stone-cutter  by  trade,  and  the  son  concluded  to  follow  the  same  line 
of  business.  For  five  years  he  worked  as  a  journeyman,  and  at  the  end  of 
that  time,  believing  that  he  was  master  of  the  trade,  he  embarked  in  the 
same  line  of  work  upon  his  own  account,  at  his  present  location  on  Midland 
avenue,  in  the  seventh  ward.  He  quarries  and  deals  in  all  kinds  of  building 
stone  and  does  a  very  extensive  business,  employing  as  many  as  sixty-five 
men  at  one  time,  during  busy  seasons.  By  well  directed  energy  and  enter- 
prise he  has  succeeded  in  building  up  an  extensive  trade,  and  all  with  whom 
he  has  had  dealings  speak  in  terms  of  praise  of  the  manner  in  which  he  fulfils 
contracts  and  adheres  .to  the  letter  thereof.  He  is  a  member  of  St.  Joseph's 
Roman  Catholic  church  and  is  liberal  in  his  benevolences  and  contribu- 
tions to  the  worthy  poor.  Kindly  by  nature,  and  having  himself  worked  his 
own  way  upward,  he  is  ever  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  those  less  fortu- 
nate than  himself. 

CHARLES    HENRY   DWORNICZAK. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  better  known  at  Croton,  New  York,  where 
he  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  by  the  name  of  Cfiarles  Henry,  than  he  is 
by  his  full  name.  He  is  a  German  by  birth,  early  association  and  education, 
but  has  been  a  resident  of  this  country  since  1862  and  is  thoroughly  identified 
with  America  and  her  interests. 

He  was  born  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  in  1841,  and  in  his  native  land  had 
the  advantage  of  college  training,  his  education  being  directed  toward  the 
medical  profession.  He  did  not,  however,  enter  the  practice  of  that  profes- 
sion. When  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world  it  was  as  a 
bookkeeper  in  a  wholesale  house  m  Hamburg,  Germany,  the  business  being 
an  American  one.  In  1862,  owing  to  a  lull  in  business  in  Germany,  he  came 
to  America,    and  the  next  three  years  he  traveled  throughout  the  United 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  527 

States,  looking  for  a  business  opening,  from  time  to  time  accepting  various 
forms  of  employment.  Finally,  in  1866,  he  located  in  Peekskill,  New  York, 
and  there  married  Miss  Matilda  Biettinger,  a  New  Jersey  lady. 

Mr.  Henry  continued  to  reside  in  Peekskill  for  two  years.  In  1868  he 
Avent  to  Plank's  Point  and  opened  a  barber  shop,  which  he  conducted  for  two 
years,  but  owing  to  ill  health  he  found  a  change  of  location  was  necessary, 
and  his  next  move  was  to  Croton,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Here  he  found 
opportunity  to  bring  into  action  his  medical  education.  He  opened  a  drug 
•store,  soon  built  up  a  good  business,  and  has  been  successfully  engaged  in 
this  line  of  trade  ever  since.  On  turning  his  attention  to  the  drug  business, 
he  naturally  became  interested  in  the  drug  societies  throughout  the  county 
and  state.  For  two  years  he  was  president  of  the  County  Pharmacy  Society 
and  he  has  long  been  active  in  pharmacy,  his  name  being  No.  68  on  the  regis- 
ter of  the  State  Board  of  Pharmacy.  He  has  a  fine  library,  including  a  wide 
range  of  books  on  scientific  subjects,  principally  psychology,  in  which  he 
takes  special  interest,  having  been  a  great  student  from  his  boyhood  up  to  the 
present  time.  He  has  written  several  articles  on  scientific  subjects,  and  strives 
to  enlighten  rather  than  follow.  As  a  citizen,  he  is  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive, ever  looking  to  the  best  interests  of  his  town,  and  at  this  writing 
holds  the  office  of  treasurer  of  Croton.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
iire  department  of  the  village.  He  is  a  member  of  the  United  Friends,  and 
politically  is  a  Democrat. 

ELBERT  S.  N.  WILLSON. 

Mr.  Willson  is  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace  in  North  Salem,  a  posi- 
tion which  he  has  filled  for  twelve  years,  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfac- 
tion to  his  constituents.  He  is  thoroughly  impartial  in  meting  out  justice, 
his  opinions  being  unbiased  by  either  fear  or  favor,  and  his  fidelity  to  the 
trust  reposed  in  him  is  above  question.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ing and  highly  respected  citizens  of  North  Salem  township,  and  it  is,  there- 
fore, consistent  that  he  be  represented  in  a  work  whose  province  is  the 
protrayal  of  the  lives  of  the  prominent  men  of  Westchester  county. 

Mr.  Willson  is  a  native  of  Somers  township,  and  is  the  only  child  of 
Nehemiah  and  Eliza  Ann  (Smith)  Willson.  The  father  was  born  in  Lewis- 
.borough  township,  this  county,  December  14,  1806,  and  was  a  son  of  Jus- 
tice and  Phoebe  (Searles)  Willson,  farming  people.  The  birth  of  the 
grandfather  is  supposed  to  have  occurred  on  Long  Island,  New  York.  His 
children,  all  of  whom  save  one  are  deceased,  were:  Thomas,  who  was  a 
farmer  of  Wisconsin;  Belinda,  who  became  the  wife  of  Rev.  George  Coles; 
John,  a  farmer,  who  died  in  Massachusetts;  Nancy,  who  was  the  wife  of 
William  Rogers,  a  silver  manufacturer  of  Hartford,  Connecticut;  Nehemiah, 


528  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

the  father  of  our  Subject;  and  Electa,  who  is  the  only  one  living,  is  unmar- 
ried and  resides  in  Hartford.  The  children  born  to  Rev.  George  Coles  and 
wife  were  as  follows:  Mary  Frances,  who  married  Rev.  Erastus  O.  Haven, 
who  was  one  of  the  leading  educators  of  this  country  and  was  a  bishop  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  for  many  years  prior  to  his  death;  Elizabeth, 
who  married  Rev.  George  W.  Woodruff,  D.  D.,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  min- 
ister belonging  to  the  Eastern  conference  of  New  York;  George  W.  J.,  who 
served  through  the  civil  war  and  is  now  clerking  in  New  York  city;  and 
James  S.,  who  also  was  one  of  the  boys  in  blue,  died  in  the  service.  In 
connection  with  farming  Nehemiah  Willson,  our  subject's  father,  conducted 
a  store  in  North  Salem  and  for  some  time  he  served  as  supervisor  of  that 
place.  Politically  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican.  He  died  in 
1889,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1884,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  them. 

Elbert  S.  N.  Willson  has  always  made  his  home  upon  his  present  farm 
of  thirty  acres,  and  to  general  farming  has  devoted  much  of  his  time.  His 
education  was  acquired  in  the  North  Salem  Academy.  He  now  gives  special 
attention  to  the  raising  of  chickens,  having  upon  his  place  some  very  fine 
specimens  of  Buff  Leghorns  and  Plymouth  Rocks,  and  has  won  several 
premiums  at  the  poultry  fairs  in  New  York.  He  is  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
Republican  party  in  his  township,  and  is  quite  influential  and  prominent  in 
public  affairs,  having  since  1886  most  acceptably  filled  the  offices  of  assessor 
and  justice  of  the  peace. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1859,  Mr.  Willson  wedded  Miss  Mary  J.  Todd, 
who  was  born  in  Lewisborough  township  November  24,  1836,  a  daughter  of 
Abraham  and  Maria  (Wescott)  Todd.  Three  daughters  bless  this  union: 
Eliza  Ann,  wife  of  Theodore  Knapp,  a  farmer  of  Lewisborough  township,  by 
whom  she  had  three  children, — Lillian,  Arthur  and  Ernest;  Florence  W.r 
wife  of  Gilbert  B.  Burr,  a  farmer  of  Ridgefield,  Connecticut;  and  Loretta  B., 
wife  of  Gilbert  M.  Anderson,  a  clerk  in  New  York  city,  by  whom  she  has  one 
child,  Gilbert  M.,  Jr.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willson  and  their  children  are  earnest 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  with  which  he  is  officially  con- 
nected, and  the  family  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  know  them. 


JOHN  O.   MERRITT. 

Mr.  Merritt,  who  is  a  prominent  contractor  and  builder  at  Port  Chester, 
was  born  December  12,  1837,  at  Greenwich,  Connecticut,  which  place,  by 
the  way,  is  but  three  miles  from  Port  Chester,  New  York.  Of  this  place  also 
his  father,  William  Merritt,  was  a  native,  and  he  also  was  a  mason,  contractor 
and  builder,  his  operations  in  these  lines  being  very  extensive.      He  died  at 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  529 

the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  During  the  war  of  1812  he  enlisted 
for  service  in  the  army,  but  was  not  called  into  action.  In  his  politics  he 
was  a  Democrat,  and  in  religion  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Jesse 
Merritt,  the  father  of  the  last  mentioned,  was  also  a  native  of  Greenwich, 
where  he  passed  all  his  life,  also  as  a  mason  and  contractor,  and  he  also  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  His  father  was  from  England,  coming  with 
two  brothers  and  settling  upon  a  farm  at  Greenwich,  which  place  is  still  in 
the  possession  of  the  family. 

William  Merritt,  the  father  of  John  O.,  married  Miss  Jane  Ann  Han- 
cock, of  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Hancock,  who  was  a  native 
of  England  and  a  sea  captain.  He  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  British  during 
the  war  of  18 12  and  held  in  captivity  for  three  years.  Mrs.  Jane  Ann  Mer- 
ritt died  when  about  sixty  years  of  age,  a  zealous  and  exemplary  Methodist. 

Mr.  John  O.  Merritt  remained  on  the  farm  of  his  father  until  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  learning  meanwhile  the  mason's  trade,  of  his  father  and  an  older 
brother.  At  that  time  he  came  to  Port  Chester,  where  he  has  ever  since 
resided  and  carried  on  his  trade.  After  coming  here  he  followed  his  trade  as 
a  journeyman  for  a  short  time  and  then  engaged  in  contracting  for  and  build- 
ing sewers,  walls  and  large  factories, — among  the  latter  being  the  Glenville 
Woolen  Mills,  the  New  Rochelle  school-house,  etc.  His  operations  at  pres- 
ent comprise  the  laying  of  water  pipes,  sewers,  etc.,  and  road  building.  He 
now  has  a  thirty-thousand-dollar  contract  for  laying  the  track  of  the  trolley 
street-car  line  at  Port  Chester.  Mr.  Merritt  has  always  been  an  enterprising 
and  successful  man  in  business.  In  politics  he  has  ever  been  an  influential 
and  active  Democrat;  was  village  trustee  three  terms,  and  for  seven  years 
was  a  member  of  the  fire  department. 

He  was  united  in  matrimony  with  Miss  Eliza  J.  Parker,  of  Harrison 
township,  this  county,  and  they  have  two  children, — Freeman,  a  contractor 
at  East  Chester,  New  York;  and  Edith,  the  wife  of  Henry  Buckout,  of  White 
Plains,  this  county. 

WILLIAM  H.  AND  GEORGE  NELSON. 

The  Nelson  Brothers,  who  are  dairy  farmers  of  Somers  township,  are 
two  of  the  most  energetic  and  enterprising  business  men  of  Westchester 
county.  They  embarked  in  the  dairy  busi-ness  about  1878,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Nelson  Brothers,  but  business  is  now  conducted  under  the  name  of 
W.  H.  Nelson.  On  starting  out  they  had  only  twenty-five  cows,  but  as  their 
trade  gradually  grew  they  purchased  more,  and  now  have  from  five  to  six 
hundred  head.  They  have  established  a  large  milk  depot  at  No.  210  West 
Thirty-fifth  street,  New  York  city,  where  they  dispose  of  most  of  their  prod- 
uct in  a  wholesale  business.  Their  large  farm  comprises  about  twenty-five 
34 


530  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  in  connection  with  its  operation  they  have 
been  extensively  engaged  in  raising  fine  horses,  and  have  some  excellent 
specimens  of  the  noble  steed  upon  their  place.  Both  brothers  are  natural 
mechanics,  and  upon  their  farm  they  have  shops  equipped  for  making  all 
necessary  repairs  on  machinery,  etc.  They  also  manufacture  their  own 
wagons  and  have  turned  out  some  fine  carriages  from  their  factory.  They 
devote  about  three  hundred  acres  to  the  raising  of  corn,  which  large  area 
implies  that  the  product  is  the  largest  amount  of  that  cereal  raised  on  any 
farm  in  the  county.  They  started  at  the  very  bottom  of  the  ladder  finan- 
cially, but  by  their  combined  efforts,  industry  and  determination  to  succeed, 
they  have  built  up  a  most  extensive  and  profitable  business,  now  furnishing 
efnployment  to  about  fifty  men  all  the  year  around. 

The  parents  of  these  gentlemen  were  Henry  G.  and  Prudy  K.  (Sarles) 
Nelson.  The  father  died  in  i860,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years,  but  the 
mother  is  still  hale  and  hearty,  at  the  age  of  eighty.  Our  subjects  were  their 
only  children,  William  being  born  in  1846,  and  George  in  1850.  Both  were 
principally  educated  in  the  public  schools,  though  they  pursued  a  business 
and  collegiate  course  for  a  short  time.  They  are  wide-awake,  energetic  men 
of  known  reliability,  and  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  business  world 
of  this  part  of  the  country.  Both  vote  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  George 
takes  a  more  active  part  in  political  affairs  than  his  brother.  He  was  mar- 
ried February  17,  1898,  to  Miss  Katie  L. ,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Emma 
Lounsbury,  and  they  reside  on  the  old  Nelson  homestead,  two  miles  west  of 
Katonah. 

GEORGE  E.   CARRIGAN. 

The  efficient  chief  of  police  of  Sing  Sing.  New  York,  is  a  native  of  West- 
chester county,  born  April  14,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Edward  and  Mary 
Elizabeth  (Anderson)  Carrigan.  The  father  also  was  born  in  this  county,  in 
1822,  and  was  here  reared  to  manhood.  Almost  his  entire  life  was  passed 
upon  the  water,  and  at  the  early  age  of  fourteen  years  he  was  given  command 
of  the  sloop  Ben  Brandreth,  plying  between  Croton  and  New  York  city.  He 
was  later  accredited  with  being  one  of  the  best  and  most  successful  navigators 
that  plied  the  Hudson  river,  and  was  the  owner  of  several  different  vessels, 
including  the  Lucy  Hopkins,  one  of  the  fleetest  sloops  that  ever  sailed  that 
stream.  She  was  about  one  hundred  tons  burden.  For  the  long  period  of 
forty-eight  years  Captain  Carrigan  had  command  of  different  vessels,  and 
after  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he  was  one  of  its  stanch  sup- 
porters. His  father  was  William  Carrigan,  also  a  native  of  Westchester 
county  and  a  cooper  by  trade.  The  Captain  is  now  deceased,  but  his  wife, 
who   was  a  native  of  Putnam  county.  New  York,  is  still  living;  and  of  the 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  531 

twelve  children  born  to  them,  seven  survive:  William  H.,  a  resident  of 
Yonkers,  New  York;  Elnora,  wife  of  Charles  Acley,  of  Croton;  Marian,  wife 
of  Edward  Fillmore,  of  Sing  Sing;  Mary  E. ,  wife  of  James  D.  Edwards,  of 
Sing  Sing;  James  Edward,  a  steamboat  pilot  and  a  resident  of  New  York 
city;  George  E.,  our  subject;  and  Clarissa  D.,  wife  of  Joseph  Poria,  of 
Yonkers. 

George  E.  Carrigan  was  reared  in  Croton,  New  York,  and  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  place.  When  his  school  days  were  over  he 
engaged  in  boating  on  the  Hudson,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  was  given 
command  of  the  schooner  George  A.  Brandreth.  Subsequently  he  was  cap- 
tain of  another  schooner  and  continued  to  follow  the  water  for  ten  years. 
He  then  accepted  the  positions  of  deputy  sheriff  and  constable,  which  offices 
he  held  for  two  years,  discharging  his  official  duties  in  a  most  commendable 
manner.  Prior  to  accepting  his  present  position,  however,  he  engaged  in 
the  roofing  business  throughout  the  state  for  five  years,  making  his  head- 
quarters first  at  Yonkers  and  later  at  Sing  Sing.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he 
was  appointed  chief  of  police  in  the  latter  city,  a  position  he  has  since 
retained,  discharging  his  various  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He  is 
emphatically  a  man  of  enterprise,  positive  character,  indomitable  energy, 
strict  integrity  and  liberal  views,  and  is  thoroughly  interested  in  all  that  con- 
serves the  prosperity  of  his  village  and  county. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Carrigan  is  an  ardent  Republican,  and 
socially  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
being  identified  with  Sunnyside  Lodge,  No.  289,  of  which  he  is  past  grand, 
and  also  with  Columbian  Encampment.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Sunny- 
side  Association.  In  1885  he  was  married,  at  Yonkers,  to  Miss  Isabella 
Bogart,  a  daughter  of  Addison  and  Mary  Bogart,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
two  children:     William  H.  and  Florence  B. 


PURDY  L.  HITCHCOCK,   M.  D. 

Dr.  Purdy  Leander  Hitchcock  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  leading  prac- 
titioners in  Westchester  county.  New  York,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
practice  since  1882,  having  graduated  the  previous  year  at  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  of  New  York  city. 

Dr.  Hitchcock  was  born  in  Westchester  county.  New  York,  September 
23,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  David  Hitchcock,  a  native  of  Putnam  county.  New 
York,  descended  from  English  ancestors  who  were  among  the  early  settlers 
of  this  country.  David  Hitchcock  is  now  seventy-seven  years  of  age,  strong 
and  robust.  By  trade  he  is  a  carpenter,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he  was 
engaged  in  building. 


532  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Purdy  L.  Hitchcock  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  his  nat- 
ive county  and  then  commenced  a  course  of  study  under  the  direction  of  Dr. 
Charles  Lee,  of  Purdy,  by  whom,  perhaps,,  more  than  any  other  individual 
was  his  life  shaped.  After  graduating,  in  1881,  he  took  up  hospital  practice 
for  a  time  and  in  1882  settled  in  Croton  Falls,  where  he  has  since  remained. 
Subsequent  to  his  regular  professional  study  he  took  a  post-graduate  course 
at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Alumni 
Association  of  that  institution.  He  has  met  with  gratifying  success  and  has 
established  a  reputation  as  a  skilled  and  careful  practitioner.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Westchester  County  Medical  Society,  and  fraternally  is  identified  with 
the  Royal  Arcanum.  From  1889  to  1892  he  was  surgeon  for  the  Croton 
Magnetic  Iron  Mines. 

November  29,  1884,  the  Doctor  married  Miss  A.  Butcher,  a  woman  of 
refinement  and  culture,  daughter  of  John  Butcher,  deceased.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Hitchcock  have  one  child,  Grace  A. 

Dr.  Hitchcock  takes  an  active  and  commendable  interest  in  all  the 
affairs  of  his  town,  and  as  an  enterprising  and  public-spirifed  citizen  is  appre- 
ciated by  his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  education,  is 
health  officer,  and  occupied  several  other  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  While 
his  life  is  a  busy  one,  he  yet  finds  time  to  enjoy  the  society  of  a  large  circle  of 
friends,  extending  and  receiving  numerous  hospitalities. 


JAMES  GIBSON,  Sr. 


This  citizen  of  White  Plains,  New  York,  has  for  a  number  of  years  been 
closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  Westchester  county.  During  his  res- 
idence here  he  has  been  prospered  financially  and  ranks  now  not  only  as  one 
of  the  leading  farmers  of  his  locality  but  also  as  one  of  its  capitalists.  His 
record  is  that  of  a  self-made  man,  and  briefly  is  as  follows: 

James  Gibson,  Sr. ,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Edinburg,  Scotland,  in  the 
year  181 3,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  place,  and 
remained  there  until  his  twentieth  year.  He  is  next  to  the  youngest  of  five 
children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  composing  his  father's  family,  and 
and  is  the  only  one  of  that  number  now  living.  James  Gibson,  his  father, 
was  a  carpenter  and  builder,  following  that  business  throughout  his  hfe.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  before  marriage  Miss  Margaret  Wright.  Both 
passed  their  lives  in   Scotland. 

In  his  youth  the  subject  of  our  sketch  learned  the  baker's  trade,  serving 
an  apprenticeship  of  four  years,  and  shortly  after  completing  his  term  of  serv- 
ice sailed  for  America,  landing  at  New  York  city,  May  22,  1834,  in  the  Isabella 
Irvine,  after  a  long  and  tedious  voyage,  covering  a  period  of  ten  weeks.      In 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  583 

New  York  he  secured  work  at  his  trade,  saved  his  earnings  and  was  soon  able 
to  start  up  an  establishment  of  his  own,  which  he  did,  and  there  he  con- 
ducted a  successful  business  until  1858,  wheh  he  sold  out  and  came  to  White 
Plains.  Here  he  purchased  a  farm  of  seventy  acres,  located  two  miles  and  a 
half  southeast  of  the  town,  and  on  it  has  since  carried  on  general  farming,  his 
land  being  among  the  best  cutivated  and  most  desirable  in  the  locality.  From 
time  to  time  he  has  made  valuable  investments  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of 
much  valuable  real  estate.  He  built  the  Auditorium  in  White  Plains,  a 
fine  structure  of  brick  and  stone,  the  first  floor  used  for  stores,  the  second 
occupied  by  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  the  opera-house. 
Also  he  owns  a  good  business  block  on  the  corner  of  Lexington  and  Railroad 
avenues,  which  he  rents. 

Mr.  Gibson  is  a  man  who  has  always  kept  himself  posted  on  the  topics 
of  the  day,  and  thinks  for  himself.  In  national  and  state  matters  he  gives 
his  support  to  the  Republican  party,  but  in  local  affairs  he  is  somewhat  inde- 
pendent, voting  for  the  man  he  believes  best  suited  for  the  office  rather  than 
adhering  strictly  to  party  lines. 

From  1838  to  1858  Mr.  Gibson  was  a  member  of  the  Scottish  Presby- 
terian church  in  New  York  city,  and  since  coming  to  White  Plains  has  been 
identified  with  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  this  place,  to  which  his  fam- 
ily also  belong  and  in  which  he  has  served  for  a  number  of  years  as  a  trus- 
tee. He  is  the  oldest  trustee  now  serving  in  the  First  Presbyterian  church 
at  White  Plains.  He  is  also  school  trustee  of  district  No.  2,  having  held 
that  office  since  1862,  and  he  has  also  been  road  commissioner. 

In  1838  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ellen  Jackson,  who  was  a 
companion  contributing  to  the  happiness  of  his  life  for  almost  forty-four 
years,  departing  from  the  scenes  of  this  world  May  15,  1882.  He  has  had 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely:  John,  James,  Jr.,  Mary  Ann,  Mar- 
garet and  Thomas.  John  died  March  14,  i8g6;  James,  Jr.,  is  married  and 
a  resident  of  New  Rochelle.  The  daughters  are  unmarried  and  reside  with 
their  father.     Thomas  is  married  and  resides  at  the  parental  homestead. 


JOHN  W.   TRUESDELL. 

One  of  the  leading  business  men  and  agriculturists  of  Westchestfer  county 
is  John  W.  Truesdell,  who  has  been  a  resident  here  for  eight  years  only,  but 
who  is  well  and  favorably  known  throughout  this  section.  He  is  the  super- 
intendent of  the  noted  Greene  estate,  which  comprises  some  seven  hundred 
acres  of  fine,  arable  farm  land, — one  of  the  best  and  most  valuable  home- 
steads in  the  state.  With  wide  experience  and  general  ability,  Mr.  Truesdell 
is  just  the  man  for  the  responsible  position  he  so  ably  fills,  and  his  efforts 


534  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

have  materially  increased  the  value  of  the  property  and  the  revenue  there- 
from. 

One  of  the  native  sons  of  the  Empire  state,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  December  3,  1854,  in  Wyoming  county,  and  passed  his  boy- 
hood in  that  portion  of  New  York.  He  is  the  son  of  E.  G.  and  Lucy 
(Popple)  Truesdell,  respected  and  honored  citizens  of  Wyoming  county. 
After  leaving  the  common  schools  J.  W.  Truesdell  entered  Warsaw  Acad- 
emy, and  there  pursued  the  study  of  the  higher  branches  of  knowledge. 
When  he  attained  his  majority  he  left  home  and  went  to  Orange  county. 
New  York,  where  for  many  years  he  was  successfully  occupied  in  farming 
and  kindred  pursuits.  In  1890  he  was  engaged  to  act  as  manager  or 
superintendent  of  the  Greene  property  in  Westchester  county,  and  he  has 
since  devoted  his  energies  to  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  the  place. 
He  has  always  given  much  attention  to  the  raising  of  fine  horses,  and  he 
is  now  interested  specially  in  this  direction,  as  a  ready  market  is  to  be 
found  for  good  animals  in  the  neighboring  cities. 

In  all  his  views  and  methods  Mr.  Truesdell  is  liberal  and  broad-minded, 
being  zealous  in  the  support  of  all  measures  which  accrue  to  the  welfare  of 
the  general  public,  and  is  active  in  local  affairs  as  well.  In  his  political 
faith  he  is  an  earnest  Republican,  but  he  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for 
public  position,  as  he  finds  that  his  time  is  fully  occupied  in  properly 
attending  to  his  business  affairs. 

January  27,  1875,  Mr.  Truesdell  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Mills,  a  daughter 
of  A.  J.  Mills,  of  Orange  county,  New  York.  The  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Truesdell  is  Charlotte  M.,  now  the  wife  of  Robert  Hoyt,  of  Katonah,  West- 
chester county. 

OSCAR  SMITH. 

This  prominent  and  representative  citizen  of  New  Castle  township,  West- 
chester county,  now.  filling  the  office  of  assessor,  was  born  in  Yorktown  town- 
ship on  the  1 2th  of  March,  183 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Smith,  whose  birth 
occurred  August  15,  1797,  on  the  old  homestead  where  our  subject  now  re- 
sides. The  grandfather,  William  Smith,  was  a  native  of  Holland,  and  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Vredenburg.  They  settled  in  this  country  prior  to  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  both  died  in  York  township  at  the  ages  of  ninety  and  eighty- 
six  years,  respectively.  They  were  most  estimable  people,  and  were  identified 
with  the  Society  of  Friends.  In  their  family  were  only  two  children: 
Samuel,  and  Rebecca,  wife  of  John  Brown. 

Samuel  Smith  grew  to  manhood  in  Yorktown  township,  throughout  life 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  was  a  stalwart 
supporter  of  the   Republican  party.      He  married  Miss  Jemimah  Young,   a 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  535 

daughter  of  James  and (Baldwin)  Young,  and  of  the  ten  children  born 

of  this  union  nine  reached  man  and  womanhood,  and  four  are  still  living, 
namely:  Eliza,  wife  of  B.  Secoy;  John  B.,  a  resident  of  Yorktown  town- 
ship; Oscar,  our  subject;  and  Eben,  of  Yorktown  township.  Those  deceased 
are:  Phoebe  J.;  Willet  R. ;  William,  and  James,  who  died  in  Tompkins 
county,  New  York,  and  was  the  father  of  two  sons — William  and  Eugene — 
who  served  in  the  Civil  war. 

Oscar  Smith  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,  and  pursued  his  studies  in 
the  neighboring  schools.  Going  to  Wisconsin  in  1856,  he  taught  school  there 
for  one  season,  and  on  his  return  to  Westchester  county  made  his  home  for 
two  years  in  Bedford.  In  1865  he  located  on  the  old  homestead  of  his  grand- 
father, which  is  pleasantly  located  only  a  half-mile  from  the  Millwood  station, 
and  is  supplied  with  water  from  one  of  the  best  springs  in  the  county.  Here 
he  has  a  nice  home,  and  is  surrounded  by  all  that  goes  to  make  life  worth  the 
living.  In  his  farming  operations  he  has  met  with  excellent  success,  and  is 
to-day  one  of  the  well-to-do  and  substantial  citizens  of  his  community. 

On  the  8th  of  June,  1861,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Sarah  J.  Sherwood, 
a  daughter  of  Absalom  and  Harriet  (Brown)  Sherwood,  of  Bedford,  in  whose 
family  were  six  children,  three  still  living:  Frances,  wife  of  William  Barnes; 
Sarah  J. ;  and  Mary  E.,  a  music  teacher  of  New  York  city.  Those  deceased 
are  Charles  W. ,  George  E.  and  William  H.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  four 
children,  namely:  Ella  V.,  wife  of  Henry  N.  Merritt,  of  Yonkers,  New  York, 
by  whom  she  had  two  children, — Maud  and  Clarence;  George  E. ,  who  mar- 
ried Grace  Brown,  and  is  a  floor-walker  in  Simpson  &  Crawford's  store  of  New 
York  city;  Irvin  E. ,  who  is  employed  by  the  Metropolitan  Traction  Company 
in  New  York;  and  Minnie  P.,  wife  of  H.  E.  Freeland,  a  railroad  conductor, 
by  whom  she  had  three  children, — Helen  M.,  Edna  May  and  Grace. 

During  his  business  career  Mr.  Smith  worked  for  his  uncle,  E.  S.  Young, 
conducting  a  stage  line  in  the  city  for  a  time,  and  also  successfully  followed 
teaching.  He  has  ever  taken  an  active  interest  in  educational  affairs,  and  for 
many  years  has  efficiently  served  as  a  school  trustee.  He  holds  a  member- 
ship in  the  Friends  church,  while  his  wife  is  a  Methodist.  Both  are  earnest, 
Christian  people,  and  have  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  entire  community 
in  which  they  make  their  home. 


JUDGE  THOMAS  M.   PARKER. 

It  is  with  pleasure  that  we  come  now  to  record  in  this  volume  a  refer- 
ence to  the  principal  landmarks  in  the  life  of  the  gentleman  whose  name 
forms  the  caption  of  this  article,  speaking' first  of  his  ancestry. 

His  father,  Edward  Parker,  was  born  in  county  Dublin,  Ireland,  where 


536  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

he  grew  up  and  learned  his  trade  as  blacksmith.  When  he  had  attained  the 
age  of  twenty-two  years  he  emigrated  to  the  land  of  greater  opportunity, 
arriving  at  New  York  city,  where  he  was  employed  at  his  trade  as  a  journey- 
man. In  1847  he  came  to  Port  Chester  and  continued  at  his  trade  for  ten 
years,  when  he  purchased  the  shop  now  owned  by  his  son.  Judge  Parker,  and 
plied  his  laborious  vocation  here  as  long  as  he  lived,  his  death  taking  place 
April  4,  1897,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years  and  six  months.  Politically  he 
was  a  Democrat,  and  in  public  office  he  was  village  trustee  two  terms  and 
for  a  time  overseer  of  the  poor.  In  religion  he  was  a  Catholic.  For  his 
wife  he  married  Miss  Ellen  Mulvaney,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  was  brought 
to  America  when  but  two  years  of  age;  and  she  is  still  living,  aged  fifty-eight 
years.  She  also  is  a  communicant  of  the  Catholic  church.  Of  her  sixteen 
children  nine  are  still  living. 

Judge  Parker,  of  whom  we  more  particularly  write,  was  born  May  27, 
1864,  in  Port  Chester,  educated  in  the  public  and  Catholic  schools,  and  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years  began  to  learn  the  blacksmith's  trade  of  his  father, 
and  he  continued  in  that  heavy  work  for  fifteen  years;  and  since  that  time 
he  has  managed  the  shop  that  his  father  owned. 

Politically,  he  is  an  active  Democrat.  He  has  served  one  term  as  village 
treasurer,  which  office  he  resigned  when  he  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the 
peace  to  fill  an  unexpired  term,  and  after  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
was  elected  for  a  full  term.      He  is  a  good   man-for  the  place. 

In  matrimony  he  was  united  with  Miss  Maggie  Stanley,  of  this  place, 
and  they  have  two  daughters,  named  Helen  and  Jane  Elizabeth. 


ABRAHAM  A.  COLES. 


The  family  name  of  this  gentleman  has  figured  conspicuously  on  the 
pages  of  the  history  of  the  Empire  state  through  many  generations,  repre- 
sentatives of  the  family  taking  an  active  part  in  many  of  the  leading  events 
which  form  an  integral  part  of  the  annals  of  New  York.  Patriotism,  honor 
and  enterprise  have  ever  been  among  their  marked  characteristics  since  the 
time  when  Robert  Coles,  a  native  of  England,  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  estab- 
lish a  home  in  the  New  World.  This  was  in  1641,  and  he  cast  his  lot  with 
the  early  colonists  of  the  land  which  gave  promise  of  liberty  and  freedom  of 
conscience  and  the  exercise  of  the  independent  rights  of  the  individual. 
He  was  accompanied  on  his  journey  by  his  two  brothers,  Nathan  and  Daniel, 
and  in  1677  the  three  secured  a  tract  of  seventeen  hundred  acres  of  land  on 
Long  Island.  This  included  all  the  portion  of  the  island  known  as  Glen 
Cove,  and  thereon  Robert  Coles,  who  was  the  great-grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject,  made  his  home.     There  also  occurred  the   birth   of  Jesse   Coles,  the 


.e^^ 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  537 

grandfather,  whose  natal  day  was  in  September,  1757.  He  was  one  of  the 
gallant  heroes  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  serving  all  through  the  seven 
long  years  of  that  conflict.  For  three  years  he  was  on  detached  duty  as  a 
spy  under  the  command  of  Washington,  and  being  taken  prisoner  was 
incarcerated  in  the  old  "  sugar-house  prison,"  but  was  afterward  paroled. 
Later  he  was  again  captured  by  an  English  boat  on  the  Long  Island  sound, 
while  carrying  messages,  but  the  papers  were  skillfully  hidden  under  the  lin- 
ing of  his  coat  between  the  shoulders,  and  were  not  found;  so,  there  being  no 
proof  against  him,  he  was  released.  Had  the  papers  been  found  he  would 
have  been  summarily  shot.  The  gun  which  he  carried,  and  which  had  been 
given  to  his  father  by  Richard  Mott,  is  now  in  possession  of  our  subject,  as 
is  the  old  family  clock.  While  a  prisoner  in  the  sugar-house  the  life  of 
Jesse  Coles  was  saved  by  Anna  Mott,  a  nurse,  who  warned  him  against  eat- 
ing some  food  that  had  been  poisoned.  When  his  loved  country  no  longer 
needed  his  services  he  returned  to  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  the  farm,  and  on 
the  25th  of  March,  1781,  was  married  to  Deborah  Carpenter. 

Their  son,  Joseph  Coles,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Greenburg 
township,  Westchester  county,  December  27,  1790,  and  died  July  2,  1872, 
in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Abraham  A.  Coles.  During  his  active  busi- 
ness career  he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  and  met  with  success  in  his 
various  business  undertakings.  Prior  to  the  Civil  war  he  was  a  Democrat, 
but  at  that  time  he  transferred  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  and 
was  afterward  one  of  the  stalwart  advocates  of  its  principles.  He  was  also 
a  faithful  member  of  the  Reformed  church,  and  his  honorable  life  commanded 
-uniform  regard  from  his  fellow  men.  He  married  Elizabeth  Yerks,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Yerks.  She  was  born  in  Mount  Pleasant,  Westchester 
county,  February  25,   1801,  and  departed  this  life  July  15,   1871. 

Abraham  A.  Coles,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  and  who  is  now 
a  leading  citizen  of  Tarrytown,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Mount  Pleasant, 
Westchester  county,  October  7,  1827.  He  was  reared  in  a  manner  usual 
to  farmer  boys  of  that  period  and  locality,  and  pursued  his  education  in  what 
was  then  known  as  the  "  old  red  school-house."  Between  the  ages  of  twelve 
and  twenty  years  he  worked  industriously  upon  the  home  farm  and  then 
entered  upon  an  independent  business  career.  For  a  few  years  he  operated 
a  farm  of  his  own  and. engaged  in  raising  live  stock  to  some  extent,  but  since 
the  fall  of  1865  he  has  not  resided  on  the  old  homestead,  which  is  situated 
in  Greenburg  township,  his  home  being  now  in  Tarrytown.  Disposing  of 
his  farm  he  came  to  live  with  his  parents,  who  had  been  residents  of  Tarry- 
town for  several  years,  caring  for  them  until  they  were  called  from  the 
scene  of  earth's  activities.  Mr.  Coles  has  since  continued  to  live  in  the 
■old  Tarrytown  home,  devoting  his  time  and  energies  to    the    management  of 


538  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

his  various  investments  and  valuable  property  interests.      He   is   also  one  of 
the  trustees  of  the  Westchester  County  Savings  Bank. 

In  1873  Mr.  Coles  married  Julia  A.,  daughter  of  Daniel  D.  and  Julia  S. 
(Amerman)  Foot,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Isaac  Amerman,  who  served  as  an 
alderman  in  New  York  city  for  several  years  and  was  a  prominent  citizen  of 
the  metropolis.  Mrs.  Coles  is  a  native  of  that  city,  and  by  her  marriage  has 
become  the  mother  of  four  sons,  namely:  Edward  A.,  Fred  H.,  Charles 
L.  and  Russell.  Mr.  Coles  is  identified  with  the  church  of  his  ancestors, 
the  Reformed,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  Widely 
and  favorably  known  in  Tarrytown,  the  warm  personal  friendships  which 
they  inspire  secure  them  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  of  the  place. 
Like  his  honored  father,  Mr.  Coles  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  he  has  never  aspired  to  official  distinction,  preferring  to 
devote  his  attention  to  his  business  interests,  in  the  management  of  which 
he  displays  marked  ability  and  executive  force,  combined  with  keen  discrimi- 
nation. 

AUGUSTUS  M.  HALSTED. 

We  are  now  permitted  to  touch  briefly  upon  the  life  history  of  one  who 
has  retained  a  persona]  association  with  the  business  affairs  of  Westchester 
county  for  many  years,  but  is  now  living  retired  at  Rye,  and  whose  ancestral 
line  traces  back  to  the  colonial  epoch  in  our  country's  history.  His  life  has 
been  one  of  honest  and  earnest  endeavor,  and  due  success  has  not  been 
denied. 

Records  show  that  the  Halsted  family  is  of  English  origin,  and  that  it 
was  founded  on  American  soil  about  1628  by  representatives  of  the  name  from 
Hemill-Hempstead,  England.  They  settled  in  or  near  Boston,  and  the  family 
name  appears  in  the  log  of  the  Mayflower.  Subsequently  they  removed  to 
Providence  Plantation,  now  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  and  at  a  later  date 
one  of  the  family  went  to  Long  Island  and,  in  connection  with  other  early 
colonists,  founded  the  town  of  Hempstead.  For  several  generations  the 
Halsted  family  has  been  connected  with  the  history  of  Westchester  county. 
The  parents  of  Ezekiel  Halsted,  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  were 
the  first  to  locate  here,  and  his  birth  occurred  in  New  Rochelle,  November 
29,  1738.  At  an  early  day  he  removed  to  Rye  township  and  settled  on  the 
old  homestead,  which  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family  and  a  part  of  which 
will  be  inherited  by  our  subject  should  he  outlive  the  present  life  tenant. 
Ezekiel  Halsted  was  a  large  land-owner  and  extensive  farmer,  as  well  as  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  his  community.  He  served 
with  distinction  as  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  son,  Philemon, 
was  also  a  captain  in  the  state  militia,  and  his  discharge  papers,  granted  by 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  539' 

Governor  Jay,  of  New  York,  are  now  in  possession  of  Augustus  M.  Halsted. 
He- was  the  first  president  of  the  Westchester  County  Agricultural  Associa- 
tion, and  was  an  important  factor  in  the  promotion  of  many  interests  of  public 
concern. 

The  grandfather,  Philemon  Halsted,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Rye  township,  and  there  spent  his  entire  life  as  a  successful  farmer,  owning 
large  tracts  of  land.  He  was  also  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity, and  for  a  great  many  years  served  as  president  of  the  Westchester 
County  Agricultural  Society.  He  married  Deborah  Davenport,  a  daughter 
of  Lawrence  Davenport,  of  New  Rochelle,  and  to  them  were  born  two  chil- 
dren: James  Davenport  and  Newberry  Davenport,  the  latter  a  prominent 
farmer.  He  took  a  very  active  part  in  public  affairs  and  was  acceptably 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

James  Davenport  Halsted,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  on  the 
old  family  homestead,  October  20,  1809,  and  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  the  township  of  Rye  throughout  his  entire  life.  He  was  a  recognized 
leader  of  public  thought,  action  and  opinion  and  left  the  impress  of  his  strong 
individuality  upon  many  measures  of  general  interest.  A  stanch  supporter  of 
the  Democratic  party,  he  efficiently  served  for  many  years  as  supervisor  of 
this  township.  Although  not  a  member  of  Christ  Episcopal  church,  he- 
served  as  one  of  its  vestrymen  for  a  number  of  years  and  was  held  in  the 
highest  regard  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  death  occurred  January  25,  1865. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  S.  Todd,  was  born  July  2, 
1 8 16,  in  Waterford,  Saratoga  county,  New  York,  and  died  October  28,  1896. 
She  was  a  most  estimable  Jady,  and  during  her  entire  residence  in  Rye  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church.  Of  their  three  children 
Augustus  M.  is  the  eldest.  James  M.  is  a  resident  of  Oakland,  California; 
and  Elizabeth  S.  is  the  wife  of  H.  C.  Edgette,  of  Haddonfield,  New  Jersey. 

Mr.  Halsted,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  born  in  Rye 
township,  November  22,  1836,  and  his  boyhood  days  were  spent  under  the 
parental  roof.  He  had  charge  of  the  home  farm  from  the  time  he  was  seven- 
teen years  of  age  until  1862,  when  he  engaged  in  the  produce  and  commis- 
sion business,  in  New  York  city,  carrying  on  operations  along  that  line  for 
three  years.  During  the  following  four  or  five  years  he  was  engaged  in 
newspaper  work  there,  as  associate  editor  of  a  stock  paper,  and  on  one  of 
the  prominent  evening  dailies,  reporting  political  meetings  and  the  actions  of 
other  large  conventions  and  assemblages  as  his  special  department  of  the  work. 
He  next  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  specialties  in  sheet-metal  goods,  and 
was  the  first  in  America  to  invent  and  make  a  self-regulating  incubator.  On 
account  of  ill  health  he  retired  from  business  in  1895,  and  is  now  enjoying  a 
well  earned  rest,  free  from  the  cares  and  responsibilites  of  business  life. 


540  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Mr.  Halsted  married  Miss  Amanda  M.  Hayward,  a  daughter  of  Colonel 
John  R.  Hayward,  a  prominent  citizen  of  East  Chester,  New  York,  whose 
farm  comprised  a  greater  part  of  the  present  city  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  who 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  The  children  born  to  this  worthy  couple 
are  as  follows:  Rev.  Newberry  O.,  an  Episcopal  minister,  who  is  now  super- 
intendent of  St.  Johnland,  Dr.  Muhlenberg's  home  for  aged  men  and  orphan 
children,  at  Kings  Park,  Long  Island;  Carrie  L. ,  wife  of  G.  Arthur  Tuthill, 
of  Brooklyn,  New  York;  James  D.,  a  contractor  and  builder,  in  Rye;  J. 
Henry,  who  is  engaged  in  advertising  specialties  and  patent  business  in  New 
York  city;  Jennie  A.,  wife  of  William  H.  Porter,  of  the  firm  of  William  Por- 
ter &  Sons,  New  York;  Florence,  a  talented  artist  in  minature  and  figure 
work;  A.  Elizabeth,  at  home;  and  Robert  A.,  who  is  attending  the  Irving 
Institute,  at  Tarrytown.  The  family  is  identified  with  the  Episcopal  church, 
and  in  politics  Mr.  Halsted  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party.  For  eight- 
een years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  education,  serving  as  its 
president  for  fifteen  years,  but  he  has  never  cared  for  political  honors,  always 
refusing  to  become  a  candidate  for  office.  In  manner  he  is  pleasant,  genial 
and  approachable,  and  all  who  know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  his  genuine 
worth. 

WILLIAM  MAISON  du  BOIS. 

Mr.  du  Bois  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ossining,  Westchester  county,  New 
York,  and  moved  in  1871  to  the  town  of  White  Plains,  in  the  same  county, 
to  the  residence  on  Hamilton  avenue  where  he  has  lived  since  that  time. 

He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  New  York  state  as  attorney  and  counselor 
at  law  in  1879,  after  having  graduated  at  the  Columbia  Law  School  with  the 
degree  of  LL.  B. .  and  has  followed  the  practice  of  the  law,  his  office  being 
located  in  White  Plains.  He  was  also  admitted  to  the  United  States  district 
■court  in  1879. 

He  is  descended  from  many  families  whose  names  are  to  be  found  among 
the  earliest  records  of  this  country,  some  of  his  ancestors  being  of  Huguenot 
origin,  to-wit:  duBois,  Le  Fevre,  Hasbrouck,  Deyo  (four  of  the  patentees 
of  New  Paltz,  New  York),  Bianshan,  du  Ry,  Le  Maistre,  Le  Comte,  Par- 
mentier  and  Cresson;  some  of  them  being  Holland  Dutch,  to-wit:  van  Bomell, 
van  Kleeck,  van  der  Bogart,  van  Voorhoudt,  van  Schoonhoven,  van  der 
Linden,  van  Dyck,  Viele,  Aertsen,  ter  Bos,  Segers,  Schouw,  Frederickse, 
Ten  Broeck,  Ten  Eyck,  Jorisen,  Schermerhorn  and  Meyer;  some  of  them 
English,  to-wit:  Skinner,  Manning,  Way,  Marshall,  Broadhead  and  Hugh- 
son;  and  some  of  them  of  various  nationalities:  for  instance,  Zabriskie 
<Poland),  Goetschius  (Swiss),  Vermilye  (Italian),  Hazard  (Welsh). 

Mr.  du  Bois  is  a  Freemason  and  a  member  and  officer  of  White  Plains 


OfyyuUiMeu 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  541 

Lodge,  No.  473,  F.  &.  A.  M.,  of  the  state  of  New  York,  and  also  a  member 
of  the  following  (and  other)  societies,  viz. :  Society  of  Colonial  Wars,  Sons 
of  the  Revolution,  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion,  Saint  Nicholas  Society 
of  New  York,  Huguenot  Society  of  America,  Washington  Continental  Guard, 
New  York  Genealogical  and  Biographical  Society,  New  York  Historical 
Society,  Westchester  County  Historical  Society  and  the  Westchester  County 
Bar  Association.  ' 

He  married,  at  White  Plains,  New  York,  first,  Grace  Bartram,  who  died 
May  29,  1885,  eldest  daughter  of  Colonel  Nelson  B.  Bartram;  and  secondly, 
Mabel  Bartram,  the  second  daughter  of  Colonel  Bartram.  Colonel  Bartram, 
who  died  December  25,  1886,  was  of  New  England  descent  and  commanded 
during  the  war  of  the  Rebelhon  the  regiment  raised  by  the  Union  League 
Club  of  New  York  city. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  du  Bois  have  one  child,  a  daughter  named  Mabel. 


A.  WATSON  NEUMAN. 


A.  Watson  Neuman,  of  Nepera.  Westchester  county.  New  York,  is  one 
of  the  representative  and  well-known  men  of  this  county.  He  was  born 
here  February  24,  1848,  and  belongs  to  a  family  long  resident  in  America. 
His  father,  Alvah  Neuman,  was  born  in  181 3,  son  of  John  Neuman  and 
grandson  of  Joseph  Neuman,  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  John 
Neuman  married  Hannah  Benedict,  daughter  of  Colonel  Benedict,  an  officer 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  the  musket  that 
was  used  by  his  great-grandfather,  Joseph  Neuman,  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  It  has  the  mark  made  by  a  saber  cut  in  the  hands  of  a  British  officer. 
While  in  charge  he  warded  off  the  blow  with  his  gun  and  used  the  bayonet. 
John  Neuman  had  ten  children:  Joseph  (i),  Sarah,  Rebecca,  Elizabeth, 
Holly,  Alvah,  Deborah,  Joseph  (2),  Mary  Jane  and  Patience.  Alvah  Neu- 
man, the  father  of  our  subject,  married  Nancy  See,  daughter  of  James  Peter 
See  and  granddaughter  of  Peter  See,  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  Thus  it  is 
seen  that  A.  Watson  Neuman  can  in  more  ways  than  one  trace  his  direct 
descent  from  Revolutionary  stock.  Alvah  Neuman  and  wife  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Those  who 
reached  adult  years  are  as  follows:  James  A.;  John  Milton,  of  New  York; 
William  A.,  also  of  New  York;  A.  Watson,  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch;  Abbie  Amelia,  wife  of  Bailey  Kipp;  and  Loring,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five  years.  The  mother  died  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 
years,  and  the  father  died  in  1891,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  Some  time 
before  his  death  he  was  thrown  from  a  wagon  and  had  a  limb  broken,  and 
from  the  effects  of  this  injury  he  never  recovered.      He  was  a  prosperous 


542  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

farmer,  religiously  a  member  of  the  Reformed  church,  being  an  elder  of  the 
same,  and  politically  a  Democrat.  April  3,  1809.  by  Daniel  D.  Tompkins, 
governor  of  New  York,  he  was  appointed  an  officer  in  the  military  regiment 
of  Westchester  county. 

A.  Watson  Neuman  was  reared  on  the  old  farmstead,  and  in  1879  he 
married  Miss  Anna  May  Graham,  daughter  of  Newman  Graham,  and,  like 
her  husband,  having  Revolutionary  blood  in  her  veins.  Her  grandfather, 
Dr.  Isaac  Graham,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  was  a  de- 
scendant of  the  Scotch  duke  of  Montrose.  Newman  Graham  married 
Anne  Onderdonk,  a  daughter  of  Abraham  Onderdonk,  a  native  of  New 
York.  Three  children  came  to  bless  their  union, — Ike  Gilbert,  of  Tarry- 
town;  William  Warren,  of  Sing  Sing;  and  Anna  May.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neu- 
man have  four  children, — Anna  Kate,  Albert  Milton,  Howard  Graham  and 
Laurinda. 

Both  Mr.  Newman  and  his  wife  were  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Reformed 
church  and  they,  like  their  parents,  are  consistent  members  of  the  same,  he 
being  an  elder  in  the  church.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served 
several  terms  as  township  collector. 


GEORGE  F.   ODELL. 


Since  1893  George  F.  Odell  has  been  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Congers, 
New  York,  while  his  place  of  business  is  in  Yonkers.  In  both  of  these  thriv- 
ing little  cities  he  is  very  well  known  and  occupies  a  prominent  place  as  a 
citizen.  As  an  active  member  of  the  Citizens'  Land  Improvement  Associa- 
tion of  Congers  he  has  forwarded  the  interests  of  the  town,  and  is  recognized 
as  one  who  is  thoroughly  patriotic,  striving  ever  that  the  communities  with 
which  his  life  is  connected  may  be  sent  onward  on  the  road  to  progress.  He 
was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  movement  to  organize  the  association  above 
mentioned  at  Congers,  and  has  been  the  chairman  of  the  same  for  three 
years.  Not  waiting  for  others,  he  has  initiated  and  brought  about  numerous 
works  of  improvement  there,  and  has  ably  seconded  many  enterprises  which 
have  materially  benefited  the  place. 

For  years  an  able  and  efficient  worker  in  the  Republican  party,  he 
founded  a  club  in  Congers.  At  first  it  comprised  but  ten  members,  but  the 
zeal  and  energy  of  Mr.  Odell  on  behalf  of  the  party  and  the  constantly  grow- 
ing population  of  the  town  have  wonderfully  aided  the  club,  which  now,  at 
the  end  of  two  years'  existence,  boasts  of  over  one  hundred  members.  The 
•efforts  of  Mr.  Odell  have  secured  the  opening  of  several  new  streets  and  the 
paving  of  many;  the  proper  organization  of  the  town  under  an  approved  sys- 
.tem  of  administration,   regular  departments,   etc.      No  more    fitting  man 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  543 

could  have  been  found  for  the  honor  and  position  of  postmaster  there,  and  it 
was  an  appointment  which  was  hailed  with  pleasure  by  the  majority  of  the 
citizens  of  Congers,  when,  in  1898,  he  was  chosen  for  the  office.  He  has 
frequently  attended  conventions  of  his_  party,  and  has  often  gone  in  the 
capacity  of  a  delegate. 

A  son  of  James  B.  Odell,  and  born  during  the  civil  war,  George  F. 
Odell  is  in  the  prime  of  manhood.  His  birth-place  was  in  Yonkers,  and  the 
date  of  his  advent  on  the  stage  of  human  existence  February  20,  1863. 
After  he  had  completed  a  liberal  education  in  the  public  schools  of  this  place 
he  entered  the  Yale  College  Preparatory  School  here,  his  plan  then  being  to 
enter  the  medical  profession  later.  This  idea,  however,  he  abandoned,  and 
for  two  years  he  engaged  in  the  steam  job  printing  business  with  William  P. 
Constable,  of  the  firm  of  Odell  &  Constable.  The  six  years  following  he 
traveled  representing  the  Van  Derveer  &  Holmes  Biscuit  Company  of  New 
York  city,  and  in  1895  he  opened  a  wholesale  biscuit  business  on  his  own 
account  in  Yonkers,  and  has  since  handled  the  wares  of  the  National  Biscuit 
Company,  dealing  in  the  same  in  wholesale  quantities.  He  has  met  with 
the  business  success  which  he  eminently  deserves,  and  on  account  of  his 
health  was  compelled  to  retire  from  the  business,  so  sold  out  to  the  National 
Biscuit  Company  and  now  has  located  in  Congers  in  the  real-estate  and 
insurance-brokerage  business,  which  is  meeting  with  success.  Fraternally, 
he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  order  as  a  member  of  Rising  Star  Lodge,  No.  450, 
F.  &  A.  M.  Moreover,  he  is  connected  with  John  C.  Shotts  Camp,  sons  of 
veterans;  with  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  the  Lincoln  Legion,  a  political  and 
social  organization;  also  is  an  honorary  member  of  the  Congers  fire  depart- 
ment. In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a  Methodist,  a  member  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Yonkers. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Odell  and  Miss  Emma  K.  Graham,  of  King's 
Bridge,  New  York  city,  was  solemnized  April  22,.  1889.  Two  little  daugh- 
ters grace  their  union,  namely:  Helen  Ruth  and  Wilhelmina  Catherine. 


DANIEL  D.   LEVINESS. 


Daniel  D.  Leviness,  a  retired  farmer  of  Scarsdale,  Westchester  county, 
New  York,  is  one  the  oldest  and  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity, having  passed  the  eightieth  milestone  on  life's  journey.  He  was  born 
October  30,  1817,  and  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Greenburg,  as  were  his  par- 
ents. His  father,  Gershorn  Leviness,  was  born  in  1794,  and  was  married  to 
Phoebe  Tompkins,  who  was  born  in  1793.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  as  follows:  Becca  Ann,  who  married  Edward  LeFurgy;  Phebe  Jane, 
-wife  of  Gilbert  Lawrence;  Mary  Elizabeth,   who  became  the  wife  of  John 


544  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

LeFurgy  and  after  his  death  married  Jasper  Devoe;  Frances  Caroline,  wife  of 
Andrew  Olson;  John  Wesley,  who  married  Hannah  Taylor;  Sarah  Esther,  wife 
of  Alexander  Taylor;  and  Abigail  Adelia,  wife  of  David  Quick.  The  Leviness 
family  originated  in  France,  and  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
Joseph  Leviness,  who  married  Elizabeth  Sherwood.  The  maternal  grand- 
parents were  Nathan  and  Effie  Tompkins.  Gershorn  Leviness  died  July  i6, 
1882. 

Daniel  Leviness  spent  his  boyhood  days  under  the  parental  roof  and 
attended  the  district  school  of  the  neighborhood.  When  he  was  fourteen 
years  of  age  his  father  rented  a  farm  and  through  the  summer  months  he 
assisted  in  its  cultivation,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  pursued  his  studies. 
He  was  thus  employed  for  two  years,  when  he  secured  work  as  a  farm  hand. 
He  was  employed  in  that  capacity  for  four  years,  daring  which  time  he  gave 
his  wages  to  his  father.  The  latter  then  purchased  a  farm  and  Daniel 
Leviness  worked  for  him  until  his  death  occurred,  in  1882.  Two  years 
before  his  demise  he  gave  a  part  of  the  farm  to  our  subject  and  said 
that  if  it  had  not  been  for  Daniel  he  would  never  have  owned  a  farm. 
Throughout  his  life  Daniel  D.  Leviness  has  thus  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits. His  diligent  attention  to  his  work  insured  him  good  crops,  while  his 
profits  were  judiciously  invested  until  he  now  rests  secure  in  the  knowledge 
that  he  has  sufficient  means  to  enable  him  to  spend  his  last  days  in  comfort 
and  plenty. 

In  1881  Mr.  Leviness  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alletta  Olsen,  who 
died  in  1892.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  views,  and  has  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  state  and  county  politics,  but  has  not  been  an 
aspirant  for  office.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  gold  standard  and  expressed, 
his  opinion  by  casting  his  vote  William  McKinley  in  1896.  He  is  an  honored 
member  of  the  Reformed  church  of  Greenburg,  and  although  in  his  eighty- 
second  year  is  a  remarkably  bright  gentleman  who  has  retained  the  posses- 
sion of  all  his  faculties. 

WILLIAM  M.  WILSON. 

There  is  no  denying  the  fact  that  austere  virtue  leads  to  the  greatest 
degree  of  happiness,  and  that  in  the  case  of  the  Wilson  family  it  has  also  led. 
to  those  great  concomitants  of  happiness, —  longevity,  business  ability  and 
success  generally. 

Mr.  Wilson,  who  has  now  for  the  past  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  been  Et 
retired  resident  of  Mount  Vernon,  enjoying  in  the  evening  of  life  the  happy 
results  of  a  life  well  spent,  was  born  March  16,  1820,  in  Colchester  county, 
Nova  Scotia,  where  his  grandfather,  William  Wilson,  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers,    after    England  had   gained  possession  of    the  dominion  from  the 


'9r^  ^^^^^r:^^^^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  54§ 

French.  He  was  a  farmer  from  Londonderry,  Ireland,  of  Scotch-Irish 
ancestry,  and  his  adherence  to  Presbyterianism  was  of  the  most  zealous 
type,  although  in  his  manner  he  was  quiet  and  unassuming.  He  married 
Esther  Reid  and  had  seven  sons  and  three  daughters, —  Samuel,  William, 
John,  Henry,  Frank,  Robert,  James,  Hannah,  Mary  and  Esther, —  all  of 
whom  lived  to  be  nearly  a  hundred  years  old,  their  ages  aggregating  eight 
hundred  and  seventy-six  years!  Their  mother  died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred 
years. 

The  father  of  William  M.  was  James  Wilson,  who  was  born  in  Nova 
Scotia,  was  a  farmer,  owning  a  considerable  amount  of  land,  married  Eliza- 
beth Staples' and  had  thirteen  children.  All  the  sons  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  for  their  life's  calling.  He  departed  this  life  in  the  year  1888,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-five  years,  in  Nova  Scotia.  His  children  were:  John,  born 
July  5,  1816;  Rachel,  June  25,  1818;  William  M.,  March  16,  i820(oursub- 
ject);  Robert,  November  20,  1822;  Easter,  February  3,  1824;  Jane  S., 
October  6,  1825;  Matthew,  September  17,  1827;  Mary  C,  June  5,  1830; 
Jervis,  August  21,  1832;  David,  April  24,  1835;  James,  May  11,  1837; 
Sidney,  October  13,  1839;  and  Junius  R.,  January  18,  1840.  The  youngest 
died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  but  all  the  rest  grew  up  to  years  of  maturity. 
Their  mother  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 

Mr.  William  M.  Wilson,  the  subject  proper  of  this  record,  received  his 
education  in  a  private  school,  but  being  the  eldest  of  the  sons  his  work  was 
of  such  a  nature  that  he  could  not  attend  regularly.  He  remained  an  inmate 
of  the  parental  home  until  he  was  twenty-one  and  a  half  years  of  age,  when 
he  left  for  the  great  metropolis,  New  York,  with  only  sixty  cents  in  money! 
There,  among  strangers,  he  was  to  seek  his  fortune  and  make  his  own  way 
in  the  world.  Learning  the  trade  of  carpenter,  in  which  he  soon  became 
highly  skilled,  he  followed  that  vocation  for  several  years,  when  he  began 
taking  contracts  for  building  and  also  engaged  in  speculating,  buyfng  lots  and 
improving  and  selling  them.  Both  in  his  contract  work  and  his  improvement 
of  lots  for  sale  he  was  signally  successful,  maintaining  meanwhile  the  highest 
degree  of  credit  and  honor. 

In  1884  he  moved  to  Mount  Vernon,  which  beautiful  city  has  since 
been  liis  place  of  residence,  and  here  he  has  built  a  number  of  residences, 
including  his  own,  he  being  his  own  architect.  He  has  led  a  very  active  and 
busy  life,  but  for  the  last  fifteen  years  he  has  practically  retired  from  the 
heavy  duties  and  responsibilities  of  business.  As  a  diversion  he  keeps  a 
"spanking"  team  of  trotters,  his  tastes  leading  him  rather  to  out-door 
recreation. 

In  his  views  of  national  policies  he  is  a  Republican;  and  in  his  religious. 

convictions  he  has  been  a  decided  and  zealous  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
35 


546  WESTCHESTER  CQUNTY. 

ever  since  he  was  nine  years  of  age,  showing  religious  indination  even  as 
early  as  the  age  of  six.  His  piety  is  deep,  his  religious  principles  definite, 
positive  and  strong,  and  his  church  relations  have  ever  been  the  most  pleas- 
ant. He  was  a  trustee  of  the  Baptist  church  on  Forty-second  street,  in  New 
York  city,  and  is  now  a  trustee  and  deacon  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Baptist 
church. 

June  1 8,  1848,  he  was  united  in  matrimony  with  Miss  Sarah  Maria  Ro£f, 
and  they  have  had  five  children,  namely:  Jane  E.,  who  died  in  childhood; 
Eunice,  deceased;  WiUiam  F.,  who  was  a  carpenter  and  builder,  but  at 
present  is  an  inventor,  residing  in  Mount  Vernon;  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  a  builder 
in  Tuckahoe,  this  county,  where  he  resides;  and  Schuyler  Colfa.x,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years. 

As  a  miscellaneous  item  we  may  mention  that  Mr.  Wilson  is  related  by 
blood  to  the  Harper  and  the  Cutten  families,  of  Massachusetts,  and  the 
celebrated  publishers  of  New  York  city,  the  Harper  Brothers. 


THOMAS    FEARON. 


In  connection  with  the  boat-building  industry  the  name  of  Thomas 
Fearon  is  known  throughout  the  country,  and  in  rowing  circles  it  is  no  less 
familiar,  for  his  ability  as  an  oarsman  has  gained  him  national  fame.  Almost 
his  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  southeastern  New  York,  where  by  his  own 
unaided  efforts  he  has  risen  from  a  humble  position  to  one  of  prominence  in 
the  business  world,  his  successful  career  standing  as  an  exemplification  of  the 
possibilities  that  are  open  to  young  men  of  ambition,  courage,  enterprise  and 
energy  in  this  fair  land. 

Born  in  New  York  city.  May  15,  1842,  he  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary 
(Strang)  Fearon.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  on  coming  to 
America  located  in  New  York  city,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  The 
mother  died  during  tf;e  early  boyhood  of  her  son,  who  was  then  reared  by 
strangers.  He  made  his  home  with  farmers  in  Westchester  county,  and 
secured  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  pursuing  his  studies  through  the 
winter  months,  while  in  the  summer  he  assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
fields.  He  was  also  for  a  time  in  school  No.  2  at  Yonkers,  and  in  the  little 
yellow  school-house  at  Tuckahoe.  In  the  spring  of  1857  his  employer,  Mr. 
Westfield,  removed  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  he  secured  a  farm,  upon  which 
Mr.  Fearon  worked  until  Mr.  Westfield  returned  to  the  east.  Our  subject 
then  secured  a  position  as  ship  carpenter  and  followed  that  trade  until  the 
election  of  President  Lincoln,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  drafts- 
man in  the  navy  yard  at  Brooklyn,  where  he  remained  until  1864. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  547 

In  that  year  Mr.  Fearon  came  to  Yonkers  and  purchased  the  boat-build- 
ing business  of  John  Ackerman,  whose  establishment  was  located  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  rubber  factory*  There  he  carried  on  operations  until  1867, 
when  he  established  his  present  plant  at  the  foot  of  Gold  street.  He  has  con- 
ducted a  successful  business  since  that  tinie  and  his  reputation  as  a  boat- 
builder  has  extended  throughout  the  entire  country.  He  has  been  particularly 
famous  for  his  racing  shell-boats,  which  are  regarded  as  the  best  produced  in 
America.  These  are  of  the  finest  workmanship,  and  in  their  construction 
the  most  care  and  exactness  is  required,  so  that  they  shall  be  absolutely  per- 
fect. He  builds  the  boats  in  use  by  various  colleges,  and  since  the  decline 
of  rowing  as  a  sport  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  steam  launches  and 
other  small  craft.  He  has  a  large  factory,  one  hundred  and  fifty  by  thirty- 
three  feet,  supplied  with  all  modern  machinery  and  appliances  necessary  for 
the  production  of  the  finest  boats  known  to  the  trade.  In  his  business  Mr. 
Fearon  has  met  with  most  gratifying  success,  his  sales  having  reached  exten- 
sive proportions,  as  his  products  have  found  favor  with  the  public  owing  to 
their  excellence  and  superiority  over  many  others  that  are  produced.  He  has 
invested  considerable  capital  in  real  estate,  and  now  has  some  valuable  realty 
holdings  in  Yonkers.  His  sound  judgment  in  business  matters,  his  thorough 
understanding  of  the  industry,  his  reliability  and  resolution  in  carrying  out 
his  carefully  formed  plans,  all  insure  him  success,  and  at  the  same  time  have 
won  him  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  has  had  dealings. 

Mr.  Fearon 's  skill  as  an  oarsman  has  also  gained  him  a  national  reputa- 
tion, and  he  is  particularly  well  known  as  the  amateur  champion  single  sculler 
of  America.  He  was  prominent  in  the  organization  of  the  Vesper  Rowing 
Association  of  Yonkers,  which  was  formed  August  12,  1867,  other  charter 
members  being  Thomas  Franklin,  R.  C.  Elliott,  Benjamin  Mason,  William 
McFarlane,  James  T.  Howland,  William  Hull  and  George  Watt.  They 
erected  a  club  house  at  a  cost  of  five  thousand  dollars,  and  the  club  became 
very  prominent  by  reason  of  the  victories  won  by  its  noted  crew,  composed 
of  Thomas  Fearon,  bow;  Owen  Van  Winkle,  No.  2;  William  McFarlane, 
No.  3;  and  John  H.  Keeler,  stroke.  This  crew  participated  in  many  con- 
tests with  crews  of  the  Hudson  River  Amateur  Rowing  Association,  composed 
of  clubs  on  the  Hudson  between  New  York  and  Albany,  and  never  met 
defeat  in  a  single  race.  They  achieved  a  national  reputation,  and  in  all  the 
regattas,  scull  and  barge  races  carried  off  the  honors  over  skilled  competitors. 
The  first  notable  race  which  they  won  was  held  at  the  Elysian  Fields,  Hobo- 
ken,  New  Jersey,  gaining  two  races  in  one  day  and  carrying  off  the  silver- 
service  medal.  The  first  race  was  an  eight-oared-barge  race,  and  the  second 
was  a  four-oared-shell  race,  in  which  five  crews  Were  entered'.  One  of  the 
most  exciting  races  in  which  they  participated  was  held  at  Bergen  Point, 


548  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

August  29,  1 87 1,  their  opponents  being  the  Argonautas.  Thousands  of 
people  witnessed  the  race,  the  greatest  excitement  prevailed,  and  large  wagers 
were  staked  on  the  result.  They  made  a  mile  and  a  half  in  seven  minutes 
and  ten  seconds.  After  that  race  the  members  of  the  crew  were  the  undis- 
puted amateur  champions  of  the  country.  In  1876  they  won  a  victory  in  a 
regatta  at  Philadelphia,  open  .to  all.  In  1868  Mr.  Fearon  won  the  single- 
scull  championship  medal  from  the  Hudson  River  Amateur  Rowing  Associa- 
tion, consisting  of  the  flag  and  diamond  medal.  The  flag  had  to  be  won  for 
three  successive  years  in  order  to  hold  it,  and  accordingly  he  won  it  in  1869 
and  1 870.  This  was  a  medal  sought  more  than  any  other  offered  by  the 
association,  and  the  association  entered  their  best  man,  Edward  Smith,  a 
nephew  of  the  celebrated  Josh  Ward,  who  defeated  the  English  champion. 
Mr.  Fearon  defeated  Smith  in  three  miles  single  by  one-eighth  of  a  mile,  up 
to  which  time  Smith  had  never  met  defeat.  The  race  took  place  at  Yonkers 
in  1882.  In  1874,  at  Saratoga,  in  the  intercollegiate  single-scull  races,  Mr. 
Fearon's  boats,  which  he  had  built  himself,  won  all  the  races.  Boat-racing 
was  then  one  of  the  most  popular  sports  of  the  time,  and  these  events  were 
frequently  attended  by  twenty  thousand  people.  Mr.  Fearon,  in  all  the 
many  contests  in  which  he  has  taken  part,  has  never  been  defeated  but  twice 
— once  by  George  Lee,  a  professional  oarsman,  now  rowing  in  England,  and 
the  second  time  by  Kennedy,  of  Bob  Cook's  crew,  who  rowed  at  the  Cen- 
tennial, in  Philadelphia,  in  1876.  He  has  won  about  sixty  medals  in  racing, 
and  for  many  years  hardly  had  an  equal  in  the  entire  country. 

In  May,  1864,  Mr.  Fearon  was  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being 
Miss  Elizabeth  H.  Dingee,  a  daughter  of  Henry  A.  Dingee,  of  New  York 
city.  He  was  a  native  of  Yonkers,  and  spent  his  last  days  here.  His  father 
was  once  the  owner  of  Chicken  island.  Henry  Dingee  became  the  owner  of 
extensive  real-estate  holdings  in  Yonkers,  much  of  which  is  still  in  possession 
of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Fearon.  He  was  a  very  enterprising  and  successful 
business  man  and  amassed  a  comfortable  fortune.  He  died  in  New  York 
city,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fearon  have  been 
born  five  children:  Mary  Dingee,  wife  of  Edward  T.  Howard,  a  resident  of 
Yonkers;  Jane  A.;  Henry,  deceased;  and  two  who  died  in  infancy.  The 
Fearon  household  is  noted  for  its  bountiful  hospitality,  which  is  enjoyed  by 
the  most  prominent  people  of  Yonkers.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fearon  occupy  a  very 
enviable  position  in  cultured  society  circles,  and  have  the  warm  regard  of  a 
very  extensive  circle  of  friends.  In  Yonkers  not  to  know  the  subject  of  this 
review  is  to  argue  one's  self  unknown.  In  all  his  social  and  business  rela- 
tions he  is  popular,  and  in  private  life  he  has  gained  that  warm  personal- 
regard  which  arises  from  kindness  and  geniality,  deference  for  the  opinions  of 
others  and  true  nobility  of  character. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  549 


HON.   DAVID  W.   TRAVIS. 


In  the  last  half  of  the  present  century  the  lawyer  has  been  a  pre-eminent 
factor  in  all  affairs  of  private  concern  and  national  importance.  He  has  been 
depended  upon  to  conserve  the  best  and  permanent  interests  of  the  whole 
people  and  is  a  recognized  power  in  all  the  avenues  of  life.  He  stands  as  the 
protector  of  the  rights  and  liberties  of  his  fellow  men  and  is  the  representa- 
tive of  a  profession  whose  followers,  if  they  would  gain  honor,  fame  and  suc- 
cess, must  be  men  of  merit  and  ability.  Such  a  one  is  Mr.  Travis,  who  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  October,  1847,  and  has  since  successfully  engaged  in 
practice  in  Peekskill,  New  York. 

He  was  born  January  15,  1824,  a  son  of  David  E.  Travis,  and  grandson 
of  Elijah  Travis.  His  parents  were  highly  respected  farming  people,  and 
on  the  paternal  side  he  is  of  English  origin  and  on  the  maternal  side  of  Ger- 
man descent.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  Peekskill,  graduating  at  the 
Peekskill  Military  Academy.  He  married  Miss  Catherine  M.  Hunt,  and,  to 
them  was  born  a  daughter,  now  the  wife  of  William  H.  Craig,  who  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  health  department  of  Peekskill. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Travis  was  a  Whig,  but  on  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party  he  joined  its  ranks,  and  has  followed  its  fortunes  ever  since. 
In  1854  he  was  called  upon  to  fill  his  first  office,  that  of  justice  of  the  police 
courts,  but  since  then  he  has  often  been  called  into  public  life,  and  for  three 
terms,  in  1867,  1879  and  1880,  he  most  ably  represented  his  district  in  the 
state  legislature.  He  has  served  on  several  commissions  of  appraisal  in  rela- 
tion to  the  New  York  city  water-works,  and  has  always  been  found  true  and 
faithful  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him,  whether  in  public  or  private  life.  As 
a  lawyer  he  has  won  the  admiration  and  confidence  of  all,  for  truth  and  right 
are  the  only  motives  which  sway  him,  and  his  career  has  been  most  progress- 
ive and  honorable.  Many  important  trusts  have  been  committed  to  his 
care,  and  the  confidence,  reposed  in  him  has  never  been  betrayed.  Socially 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


JAMES  A.  TUTTLE. 

This  gentleman  is  one  of  the  highly  respected  citizens  of  Katonah,  West- 
chester county.  New  York,  and  belongs  to  that  honored  class  of  brave  men 
who  rendered  valiant  service  to  the  Union  in  the  dark  hour  of  its  peril  when 
secession  attempted  to  overthrow  the  republic  that  our  forefathers  had  estab- 
lished. Mr.  Tuttle  was  born  September  11,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Hiram 
Tuttle,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in  181 1.  Hiram  Tuttle  was  a  shoema- 
ker by  trade,  and  when  a  young  man  he  married  Miss  Julia  Field,  by  whom 


550  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

he  had  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  living,— Mary  Marshall,  of  Bridge- 
port, Connecticut;  Emily,  of  Peekskill,  New  York;  and  James  A.,  whose 
name  begins  this  review.  Those  who  have  passed  away  are  Elizabeth,  Addie 
Garrison  and  Charles,  the  last  named    having  been    accidentally  killed  by 

railroad  cars. 

James  A.  Tuttle  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Westchester 
county,  and  was  still  in  his  'teens  when  the  trouble  between  the  north  and 
south  precipitated  the  country  into  civil  war.  A  spirit  of  patriotism,  how- 
ever, was  at  once  awakened  within  him,  and  on  the  i  ith  of  September,  1862, 
he  celebrated  his  twentieth  birthday  by  enlisting  as  a  member  of  Company  F, 
Second  New  York  Cavalry.  He  was  in  the  service  for  three  years,  valiantly 
defending  the  old  flag  and  the  cause  it  represented.  During  the  early  part 
of  his  army  life  he  was  stationed  with  his  command  along  the  Potomac.  Later 
on,  during  the  Dahlgren  raid  in  Virginia,  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  held  as 
such  three  months.  His  whole  service  was  marked  by  that  promptness  and 
fidelity  which  characterize  the  true  soldier,  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  term 
he  received  an  honorable  discharge. 

Returning  home  at  the  close  of  hostilities,  Mr.  Tuttle  devoted  his  ener- 
gies to  slate-roofing,  which  business  he  still  follows. 

He  was  married  December  6,  1871,  to  Miss  Matilda  Brown,  a  daughter 
of  Isaac  G.  and  Catharine  Brown,  of  Yorktown,  and  was  one  of  a  family  of 
six  children,  namely:  Phoebe  Jane,  widow  of  A.  Gray  and  a  resident  of  Sing 
Sing,  New  York;  William  Henry,  also  of  Smg  Sing;  Lewis,  a  resident  of 
Tuckahoe,  New  York;  Margaret  Reynolds,  who  makes  her  home  in  Croton, 
New  York;  Mrs.  Tuttle,  of  Katonah;  and  Antoinette  Taylor,  of  Newark, 
New  Jersey.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tuttle  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  of  Katonah,  and  he  belongs  to  McKeel  Post,  No.  120,  G. 
A.  R. ,  of  which  he  formerly  served  as  commander,  while  at  the  present  writ- 
ing he  is  filling  the  office  of  adjutant. 


CHARLES  G.   MARTIN. 


The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  one  of  the  honored  citizens  of  Mount 
Vernon,  Westchester  county,  and  had  been  identified  with  the  industrial  life 
of  the  American  metropolis  for  a  long  term  of  years,  winning  success  through 
his  personal  efforts  and  guiding  his  life  according  to  the  maximum  principles 
of  honor  and  integrity.  He  attained  a  venerable  age,  passing  away  in  the 
fullness  of  years  and  honors.  Endowed  with  the  most  sterling  character, 
energetic,  independent  and  vigorous  in  his  intellectuality,  he  won  for  himself 
a  place  in  connection  with  the  valuable  activities  of  life,  and  it  is  certainly 
incumbent  that  in  this  compilation  be  included  a  brief  sketch   of  his  career. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  551 

Mr.  Martin  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  having  been  born  in  the  historic 
old  town  of  Perth  Amboy,  on  the  26th  of  August,  18 14,  the  son  of  Ephraim 
and  Ehzabeth  (Andrews)  Martin.  The  father  served  in  the  war  of  18 12,  and 
his  death  occurred  about  the  year  1825.  He  left  his  widow  with  four  small 
children  and  with  but  a  modest  patrimony.  Mrs.  Martin  was  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  while  the  Martins  were  numbered  among  the  pioneer  families 
of  Westchester  county,  New  York,  whither  they  came  from  the  state  first 
mentioned.  Daniel'  Martin,  grandfather  of  the  immediate  subject  of  this 
memoir,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  his  death  occurred  in  1790.  He 
married  Mary  Applegate,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  being  a  representa- 
tive of  an  old  English  family.  Isaac  Andrews,  grandfather  of  our  subject  on 
the  maternal  side,  was  an  active  participant  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  in 
which  he  did  valiant  service  for  the  cause  of  the  colonies.  He  died  about 
the  year  1828,  and  his  wife  survived  him  about  three  years. 

Charles  G.  Martin  passed  his  boyhood  in  his  native  town,  Perth  Amboy, 
attending  the  district  school  until  his  fourteenth  year,  when  he  laid  aside  his 
text-books  and  initiated  his  practical  business  career  by  learning  the  trade  of 
a  locksmith,  making  combination  locks  for  banks,  being  in  the  employ  of  Dr. 
Solomon  Andrews,  of  Perth  Amboy.  After  completing  a  thorough  appren- 
ticeship at  his  trade  Mr.  Martin  went  to  New  York  city,  where  he  secured 
a  position  with  the  firm  of  Day  &  Newell,  manufacturers  of  locks,  remain- 
ing in  their  establishment  for  several  years.  Thereafter  he  went  to  Har- 
per's Ferry,  West  Virginia,  where  he'  was  engaged  in  the  manufacturing 
of  locks  and  keys  for  a  period  of  eighteen  months.  At  the  expiration  of 
this  time  he  joined  a  party  of  New  Jersey  men  who  made  the  voyage  to 
California  on  their  own  ship,  sailing  around  Cape  Horn  and  landing  at  San 
Francisco,  where  Mr.  Martin  remained  nearly  two  years. 

Returning  to  New  York  city,  he  entered  into  a  partnership  relation 
with  Silas  H.  Herring,  under  the  firm  name  of  Herring  &  Martin,  and  they 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  safe  locks  on  a  quite  extensive  scale,  grad- 
ually building  up  an  excellent  business  by  reason  of  the  superiority  of  their 
products  and  the  honorable  methods  according  to  which  they  conducted 
operations.  The  association  continued  for  a  number  of  years,  but  the  busi- 
ness was  finally  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  firm  of  Mackerell  &  Richard- 
son, with  whose  establishment  Mr.  Martin  continued  to  be  identified  for 
a  period  of  ten  years.  In  1864  he  again  engaged  in  business  on  his  own 
responsibility,  establishing  foundry  and  finishing  works,  which  he  conducted 
with  marked  success  until  1877,  when  he  turned  the  business  over  to  his 
son,  Benajah  M.,  who  continued  the  industry  on  South  Fifth  avenue,  New 
York  city. 

Being  well  advanced  in  years,  Mr.  Martin  retired  from  active  business 


552  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

pursuits,  and  in  his  attractive  tiome  at  Mount  Vernon,  this  county,  was 
enabled  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  a  long  life  of  faithful  toil  and  endeavor.  He 
was  a  man  of  the  most  unbending  integrity  in  all  the  relations  of  life, 
endowed  with  strong  intellectuality,  and  was  known  and  honored  as  a 
valued  citizen.  In  his  political  adherency  he  was  stanchly  allied  with  the 
Republican  party,  taking  not  a  little  interest  in  local  political  matters,  but  never 
seeking  or  holding  official  preferment.  He  lived  to  attain  the  venerable  age 
of  eighty-four  years  and  four  months,  his  long  and  eminently  useful  life  draw- 
ing to  its  close  on  the  21st  of  December,  1898. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  1845,  ^^-  Martin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Catherine  Hampton  Molleson,  of  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  two  daughters  and  one  son,  namely:  Benajah  M., 
who  succeeded  his  father  in  business;  Mary  Andrews,  who  is  the  widow  of 
Rev.  Wellington  White,  a  missionary  for  ten  years  in  Canton,  China;  and 
Anna  Molleson,  who  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  Henry  F.  McEwen,  D.  D.,  pastor 
for  eleven  years  (i 887-1 898)  of  the  old  Presbyterian  church  at  the  corner  of 
Second  avenue  and  Fourteenth  street.  New  York  city.  Mr.  Martin  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  with  which  his  widow  is  also 
identified.  Since  the  death  of  her  honored  hgsband  she  has  made  her  home 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  McEwen,  at  Amsterdam,  New  York.  It  is  worthy 
of  note  in  the  connection  that  John  Hampton,  a  lineal  ancestor  of  Mrs. 
Martin,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  British  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  being 
confined  in  the  famous  old  sugar  house  in  New  York  city  for  a  period  of 
thirteen  months.      His  death  occurred  in  1822. 


JOHN  B.  BONNETT. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  been  one  of  the  prominent  business  men 
of  Hastings,  Westchester  county,  for  the  last  score  of  years.  He  is  a  native 
of  New  York  city,  and  a  son  gf  James  and  Emily  Barberie  Bonnett.  The 
Bonnett  family  is  of  French  ancestry,  and  records  in  possession  of  its  mem- 
bers prove  that  the  first  emigrant  from  the  fatherland  to  these  shores  was 
David  Bonnett.  He  is  the  forefather  of  all  those  who  to-day  in  America 
bear  -the  name  of  Bonnett.  David  Bonnett  was  a  silk-weaver  in  the  village 
of  Thorigne,  France.  Two  hundred  years  ago  he  was  pursuing  his  daily 
vocation,  little  thinking  that  his  life  was  soon  to  be  disturbed,  and  that  the 
rest  of  his  days  were  to  be  spent  in  an  environment  far  away  from  that  in 
which  he  then  moved.  But  David  Bonnett  and  his  wife  were  Huguenots, 
and  this  simple  statement  in  itself  is  sufficient  to  account  for  any  persecutions 
which  might  have  followed.  The  rules  by  which  this  sect  governed  their 
lives  were  few  and  simple,  but  they  adhered  to  them  with  all  the  tenacity  of 


'^^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  558 

their  natures.  They  beheved  that  the  trust  which  they  possessed  was  the 
eternal  trust  of  God;  and  wedded  to  that  belief  was  the  determination  to 
hold  to  the  trust  and  to  live  it  out  in  life,  it  mattered  not  though  the  bitter- 
est persecution,  yea,  even  death  itself,  should  be  the  consequence.  The 
fact  that  they  were  held  in  disrepute  by  the  people  only  strengthened  their 
faith. 

But  at  this  juncture  organized  hostility  began  against  the  Huguenots  of 
the  village  of  Thorigne.  Troops  were  sent  to  convert  them  at  the  point  of 
the  sword.  When  the  report  of  their  approach  reached  the  ears  of  Mon- 
sieur Bonnett,  he  hastily  decided  to  evade,  if  possible,  the  approaching  doom 
by  flight.  He  had  heard  of  a  land  across  the  sea  where  men  could  worship 
God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  own  consciences,  and  he  trusted  that 
somehow  a  way  might  be  open  by  which  he  might  transport  his  family 
thither.  The  task  lying  immediately  at  hand,  however,  was  to  escape  from 
the  village.  Loading  a  donkey  cart  with  vegetables,  as  if  going  to  market, 
he  and  his  wife  hid  their  children  in  the  midst  of  the  load,  cautioning  them 
to  preserve  strict  silence,  it  mattered  not  what  might  happen.  Mr.  Bonnett 
with  a  basket  of  turnips,  walked,  his  wife  following  and  driving  the  donkey. 
Outside  the  village  they  met  the  troopers,  who  stopped  them  and  made  an 
examination  of  their  goods,  and  concluding  that  they  were  only  market 
people  let  them  pass  on.  But  in  order  to  be  sure  that  they  were  not  escaping 
Huguenots,  and  that  no  human  beings  were  hidden  in  the  cart,  one  of  the 
soldiers  ran  his  sword  through  the  very  sacks  in  which  the  children  were  con- 
cealed. The  little  ones,  true  to  the  command  of  the  parents,  let  no  outcry 
escape  them,  but  it  was  afterward  found  that  their  boy  of  five  years  had  a 
sword  thrust  through  his  thigh.  He  suffered  the  intense  pain  with  perfect 
silence,  and  when  uncovered  the  brave  child's  first  words  were:  "  I  did  not 
speak:  did  I,  mother.'" 

The  family  succeeded  in  working  their  way  to  America,  and  the  boy 
who  saved  his  own  life  and  the  lives  of  his  parents  by  his  silence,  grew  into 
manhood,  and  became  the  progenitor  of  the  American  line  of  the  family. 

The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were:  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
Woolley,  of  Long  Island.  Their  son,  James  Bonnett,  Jr.,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  New  Rochelle  in  1816,  and  arriving  at  the  age  of  manhood 
became  a  merchant  in  New  York  city,  moving  later  to  New  Rochelle,  where 
he  continued  the  business  for  a  number  of  years.  He  married  Emily  Bar- 
berie,  daughter  of  John  Barberie,  Esq.,  who  also  was  of  Huguenot  descent, 
his  antecedents  coming  to  America  during  the  religious  persecutions  in  France 
and  taking  up  their  abodes  in  New  York  city  in  1681.  Mrs.  Bonnett  died  in 
i860,  and  was  buried  in  Greenwood  cemetery  on  Long  Island,  while  Mr. 
Bonnett  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Upper  New  Rochelle.     Two  chil- 


554  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

dren  have  survived  them:  John  B.,  whose  name  begins  this  sketch,  and 
Ehzabeth  A. ,  widow  of  Harvey  Bryant,  late  of  New  Jersey. 

John  B.  Bonnett  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in  the  village  of  New 
Rochelle,  and  received  such  meager  educational  advantages  as  were  then 
afforded  by  the  common  schools.  At  an  early  age  he  left  school  and  entered 
the  employ  of  George  W.  L.  Underbill,  a  merchant  in  New  Rochelle.  Later 
he  connected  himself  with  William  S.  Hunt,  who  was  an  extensive  builder 
in  New  York  city.  Subsequently  he  entered  upon  an  independent  business 
career  in  the 'produce  business  on  Ninth  avenue,  New  York  city,  removing 
thence  to  enlarged  quarters  at  Tenth  avenue  and  Thirtieth  street,  in  which 
latter  place  he  continued  until  the  year  1878.  Then,  disposing  of  his  busi- 
ness there,  he  moved  to  Hastings,  where  he  started  in  a  general  merchandise 
store.  In  connection  with  that  he  conducts  a  lumber,  coal  and  wood  yard, 
and  carries  a  full  line  of  masons'  materials.  He  has  built  up  a  large,  profit- 
able and  constantly  increasing  business,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  represent- 
atives of  commercial  interest  in  the  town. 

In  1870  Mr.  Bonnett  married  Miss  Hannah  Munson,  daughter  of  the 
late  George  Munson,  Esq.,  of  Hastings,  a  very  prominent  and  highly  respected 
citizen.  Four  children  have  been  born  of  this  union:  Hamilton  Woolley, 
George  Munson,  John  Van  Tuyl  and  Frederick  Melville. 

Mr.  Bonnett  is  a  member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  congregation  of  Hast- 
ings, and  contributes  most  liberally  to  its  support.  He  has  been  closely 
identified  with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  village  during  these  past 
twenty  years,  and  few  projects  are  put  forward  looking  toward  the  improve- 
ment of  the  village,  without  securing  his  advice.  He  is  at  present  a  member 
of  the  village  board  of  health,  and  is  treasurer  of  the  board  of  education,  hav- 
ing served  in  both  capacities  for  several  consecutive  terms.  He  is  ever  ready 
to  give  moral  and  financial  support  to  every  movement  which  is  calculated  to 
advance  the  interests  of  the  place  and  its  people.  Mr.  Bennett's  exemplary 
character,  his  business  ability,  unpretentious  manner  and  genial  disposition 
have  made  him  a  great  power  in  molding  the  life  of  the  community,  and  have 
won  for  him  a  host  of  friends,  all  of  whom  regard  him  with  the  deepest 
respect  and  affection. 

AMOS  ACKERMAN. 

Mr.  Ackerman,  who  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of 
Mount  Pleasant  township,  was  born  near  the  place  where  he  now  lives, 
November  18,  1823,  and  throughout  life  has  been  identified  with  the  agri- 
cultural interests  of  that  section.  He  now  owns  and  occupies  what  years 
ago  was  known  as  the  old  homestead  of  Major  William  Van  Tassell,  an 
officer  of  the  war  of  18 12  and  later  a  prominent   Democratic   politician,  who 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  555- 

knew  by  sight  every  voter  in  the  county.      He    was    a  gentleman  of  the  old 
school  and  a  soldier  of  fortune. 

James   Ackerman,    our  subject's  father,   was  of  Holland  descent,  and 

was   born  in  this  state,  being  a  son  of  David  and (Tillison)  Ackerman, 

both  of  whom  died  in  the  neighborhood  of  our  subject's  home.  Here  James 
grew  to  manhood  and  learned  the  weaver's  trade,  at  which  he  did  a  good 
business  for  many  years,  but  later  in  life  devoted  his  attention  to  farming. 
He  married  Catherine  Van  Tassell,  daughter  of  Abraham  Van  Tassell,  one 
of  the  seven  men  who  captured  Major  Andre.  He  was  a  large,  muscular 
man  of  great  strength  and  endurance,  and  was  Washington  Irving's  hero, 
Brom  Bones,  in  the  Legends  of  Sleepy  Hollow.  He  married  Elizabeth  Yerks, 
the  daughter  of  a  large  land-owner  in  Westchester  county.  In  the  family 
of  James  and  Catherine  Ackerman  were  eight  children,  namely:  Hiram;. 
Berlin;  Mrs.  Eliza  Requaw;  Leonard;  Elliott  V.;  Amos,  our  subject;  Mrs. 
Jane  Requaw;  and  Mrs.  Mary  De  Revere.  Our  subject  is  the  only  one  now 
living.  The  father  was  a  strong  Democrat  in  politics,  an  admirer  of  Andrew 
Jackson,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  church.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  and  his  wife,  who  was  a  most  estimable 
woman  and  a  member  of  the  same  church,  departed  this  life  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three. 

Reared  on  the  home  farm,  Amos  Ackerman  pursued  his  studies  in  the 
district  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  began  learn- 
ing the  blacksmith's  trade  with  his  brother  Berlin,  remaining  with  him  for 
four  years,  or  until  the  brother's  death,  in  1844.  He  then  took  charge  of 
the  shop  and  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account  at  East  View  and  later 
at  Switching's  Corner,  which  half  a  century  ago  did  an  extensive  business  and 
was  headquarters  for  politicians,  stockmen,  drovers  and  others  for  miles 
around. 

In  October,  1 846,  Mr.  Ackerman  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Bird,  who  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Mount  Pleasant  township,, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Secor)  Bird,  and  to  whom  was  born  one  child, 
— Mrs.  Emma  Hunter,  of  Pleasantville,  this  county,  who  has  four  children*, 
Leonard,  Kate,  Leman  and  Amos.  Mrs.  Ackerman  died  in  1852,  and  subse- 
quently our  subject  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Mary 
Angevine,  a  native  of  Mount  Pleasant  township,  and  a  daughter  of  Goris  and 
Catherine  Angevine.  One  daughter  also  blessed  this  union,  Addie,  now  the 
wife  of  Colonel  Ellsworth  Van  Tassell,  by  whom  she  has  two  children:  Mary 
Leta  and  Ethel.  The  Colonel  was  born  here  in  1862,  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  this  county,  and  is  a  son  of  Sylvester  Van  Tassell,  and  grandson  of 
Major  Wiliam  Van  Tassell,  previously  mentioned.  After  a  happy  married 
life  of  several  years,  Mrs.  Ackerman  was  called  to  her  final  rest  May  i,  1890.. 


556  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

She  was  a  loving  wife  and  affectionate  mother,  and  an  earnest  Christian 
woman,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  at  Pleasantville,  to 
which  our  subject  also  belongs.  Politically  he  is  identified  with  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  is  a  supporter  of  all  measures  calculated  to  advance  the  moral, 
educational  or  material  welfare  of  his  town  or  county.  He  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  useful  and  valued  citizens  of  his  community  and  is  very  popu- 
lar socially. 

HON.  JOHN  Q.  UNDERHILL. 

If  kindness  and  geniality  count  for  aught  in  this  world,  if  a  life  above 
reproach,  both  in  the  discharge  of  public  and  private  duties,  is  deserving  of 
commendation,  then  John  Quincy  Underbill  has  certainly  merited  the  high 
regard  which  is  uniformly  accorded  him.  In  business  he  is  the  soul  of  honor 
and  integrity,  and  from  a  humble  clerkship  has  worked  his  way  upward  until 
he  now  has  an  important  official  connection  with  one  of  the  leading  insurance 
■companies  of  the  country.  As  a  leader  in  Democratic  circles  he  has  also 
won  prestige  and  has  been  honored  with  high  political  preferment. 

Mr.  Underbill  was  born  in  New  Rochelle,  in  1848,  and  is  a  representa- 
tive in  the  eighth  generation  of  a  family  that  is  descended  from  Captain  John 
Underbill,  who  fought  with  Captain  Mason  against  the  Indians  in  New  Eng- 
land. He  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1630  and  about  1660  made  a  permanent 
location  on  Long  Island.  His  first  wife  was  a  sister  of  Governor  Winthrop, 
of  the  Massachusetts  colony.  Members  of  the  Underbill  family,  descend- 
ants of  Captain  John  Underbill,  removed  from  Long  Island  to  Westchester 
county,  New  York,  establishing  here  what  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
honored  families  of  the  locality.  Peter  Underbill  served  his  .country  in  the 
war  of  1 81 2  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel.  John  Bonnett  Underbill, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Westchester  county,  where  also 
occurred  the  birth  of  George  Washington  Lafayette  Underbill,  father  of  him 
whose  name  introduces  this  review.  He  married  Julia  Ann  Barker,  also  a 
native  of  Westchester  county  and  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Barker.  They  are 
still  residents  of  New  Rochelle,  and  for  many  years  the  father  was  actively 
connected  with  the  business  interests  of  the  city.  In  early  life  he  was  a 
farmer  but  afterward  engaged  in  merchandising,  which  he  carried  on  until 
his  retirement  from  active  business  life. 

In  the  district  schools  near  his  home  John  Q.  Underbill  acquired  his 
early  education,  and  later  attended  the  Free  Academy,  now  the  College  of 
New  York  City.  In  1869  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Westchester  Fire 
Insurance  Company,  in  a  clerical  capacity,  and  has  since  retained  his  con- 
nection with  that  corporation,  steadily  advancing  step  by  step  as  he  has 
•demonstrated  his  mastery  of  the  business  and  his  ability  to  handle  success- 


MaJjMamJ^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  557: 

fully  its  interests.  In  1879  he  was  made  secretary  of  the  company,  and  in 
1892  was  elected  both  secretary  and  vice-president,  but  in  that  year  resigned 
the  former  position  in  order  to  assume  the  duties  of  treasurer  in  addition  to 
those  of  vice-president.  Such  is  his  present  connection  with  the  company 
with  which  he  has  been  associated  for  thirty  years.  Largely  owing  to  his- 
able  and  sagacious  management,  a  most  gratifying  success  has  attended  this 
enterprise  during  his  connection  therewith,  and  the  assets  have  increased 
from  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  two  million  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars  during  that  period.  Mr.  Underbill  is  a  man  of  keen  discrimination 
and  unabating  perseverance,  and  with  a  judgment  rarely  in  error  he  formu- 
lates his  plans  and  carries  them  forward  to  a  prosperous  conclusion.  In 
connection  with  others,  he  aided  in  the  organization  of  the  New  Rochelle 
Bank,  in  1887,  and  has  since  been  a  member  of  its  directorate.  He  is  a  man 
of  unswerving  loyalty  to  any  interest  entrusted  to  his  care,  and  his  honesty 
in  business  matters  is  proverbial. 

But  it  is  not  alone  in  the  business  world  that  Mr.  Underbill  is  well, 
known.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  essential  factors  in  the  public  life  of 
New  Rochelle,  was  three  times  elected  president  of  the  village,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  town  board  for  a  number  of  years.  For  ten  years  he  had  the 
general  management  of  the  construction  of  the  sewers  of  the  village,  and 
introduced  a  system  which  adds  much  to  the  healthfulness  of  New  Rochelle, 
and  is  unsurpassed  in  any  town  of  its  size  in  the  Empire  state.  While  serv- 
ing as  trustee  and  having  charge  of  the  sewer  system,  more  than  a  million 
dollars  of  public  money  passed  through  his  hands,  every  cent  of  which  was- 
faithfully  accounted  for.  He  drafted  a  bill,  which  was  passed  by  both  houses 
of  the  lagislature,  making  New  Rochelle  a  city,  and  though  he  met  the  most 
stubborn  opposition  on  the  part  of  a  number  of  citizens,  he  persevered  in  the 
pursuit  of  this  commendable  purpose  until  his  object  was  accomplished.  He 
is  eminently  popular,  a  fact  which  was  shown  in  1898,  when  he  was  elected 
on  the  Democratic  ticket  to  the  fifty-sixth  congress  from  the  sixteenth  con- 
gressional district  of  New  York  by  a  plurality  of  sixty-three  hundred  and  fifty, 
over  James  Irving  Burns,  the  Republican  nominee.  During  the  two  preced- 
ing terms  the  district  had  been  represented  by  a  Republican,  and  his 
immediate  predecessor,  Wilham  L.  Ward,  had  been  elected  in  1896  by  a 
plurality  of  seventy-two  hundred,  a  fact  which  shows  that  he  increased  the 
Democratic  vote  about  fourteen  thousand.  He  was  the  only  candidate  on 
the  Democratic  ticket  elected  in  Westchester  county,  in  the  fall  of  1898,  and' 
it  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  wields  a  mighty  influence  in  political  affairs  in  the 
county,  and,  indeed,  throughout  the  entire  congressional  district. 

In  1872  Mr.   Underbill  wedded  Miss  Minnie  B.  Price,  of  Sag  Harbor, 
Long  Island,  daughter  of  James  H.  Price.     They  now  have  a  daughter,  Anna. 


558  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

B.,  an  accomplished  young  lady  and  a  graduate  of  the  woman's  law  class  of 
the  University  Law  School,  of  New  York  city.  They  have  a  pleasant  home, 
in  the  midst  of  attractive  surroundings,  and  in  social  circles  their  position  is 
enviable.  Mr.  Underhill  is  a  member  of  Huguenot  Lodge,  No.  46,  F.  &  A. 
M.  His  cordiality  and  general  worth  make  him  a  favorite  among  his  friends, 
while  his  strong  mentality  and  marked  executive  ability  have  gained  him 
leadership  in  business  circles  and  in  public  life. 


STEPHEN  G.   SEYMOUR. 

No  man  in  Westchester  county  is  probably  more  worthy  of  representa- 
tion in  a  work  of  this  kind  than  he  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of  this 
sketch.  He  has  been  identified  with  its  business  interests  for  many  years, 
as  a  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  flour  and  feed  at  Lewisboro,  has  served 
as  postmaster  at  that  place  since  first  appointed  by  President  Andrew  John- 
son, and  for  the  long  period  of  twenty-seven  years  has  also  filled  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace. 

Mr.  Seymour  was  born  in  New  Canaan,  Connecticut,  September  14, 
1835,  and  on  the  paternal  side  is  of  English  descent.  His  grandfather,  Sam- 
uel Seymour,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  his  father,  Rufus  S.  Seymour, 
was  engaged  in  shoemaking  and  later  was  a  farmer.  The  latter  married  Miss 
Sally  Keeler,  the  daughter  of  Thaddeus  Keeler,  who  died  in  Potter  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  both  are  now  deceased,  the  father  having  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  They  were  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  in  his  political  views  Mr.  Seymour  was  a  pronounced  Democrat. 

Stephen  Seymour  is  indebted  to  the  public  schools  for  his  edtication, 
and  when  a  young  man  he  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  some 
time.  In  i860  was  celebrated  his  marriage  to  Miss  Frances  D.  Lockwood, 
who  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  this  county,  and  is  one  of  the  four 
children  born  to  Rufus  and  Sally  (Raymond)  Lockwood,  the  others  being 
John,  Samuel  and  Joseph  W.,  of  Lewisboro  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sey- 
mour have  two  children:  Urban  G.,  who  married  Miss  Cora  Crawford;  and 
Ada  Frances,  a  resident  of  Lewisboro,  but  attended  school  in  New  Jersey. 
The  wife  and  mother  is  an  earnest  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  is 
held  in  high  esteem  for  her  many  excellencies  of  character. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Seymour  has  been  unwavering  in  his  support  of  the 
Democratic  party  and  takes  a  lively  interest  iri  political  issues,  on  which  he 
is  well  informed.  Over  his  life  record  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong,  his 
public  services  has  been  most  exemplary,  and  his  private  life  has  been  marked 
by  the  utmost  fidelity  to  duty.  He  therefore  merits  and  receives  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  the  entire  community. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  559 


LEON  E.  PEELER,   M.   D. 

Leon  E.  Peeler,  M.  D.,  a  promiilent  young  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Harrison,  Westchester  county,  was  born  January  7,  1871,  in  Sodus  Center, 
Wayne  county.  New  York,  and  is  a  representative  of  a  well-known  family  of 
that  part  of  the  state.  His  parents  being  George  U.  and  Augusta  (Ireland) 
Peeler,  he  is  a  descendant  on  the  maternal  side  of  Martha  Biddle  and 
Lorenzo  Ireland,  his  great-grandparents,  Martha  Biddle  having  been  a  sister 
of  the  well-known  Nicholas  Biddle,  who  was  president  of  the  United  States 
Bank  at  Philadelphia  until  it  was  dissolved,  during  President  Jackson's 
administration. 

The  Doctor  received  his  preliminary  education  at  the  high  school  at 
Sodus,  New  York,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  1889,  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  H.  F.  Seaman,  one  of  the  oldest  practicing  physicians  of 
Wayne  county.  In  the  autumn  of  1892  he  entered  the  medical  department 
of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1895  with  honor,  winning  by  competitive  examination  after  gradua- 
tion a  position  as  interne  to  Bellevue  Hospital.  In  July  of  the  same  year  he 
located  at  Harrison,  where  he  soon  succeeded  in  establishing  a  good  practice, 
which  he  still  enjoys. 

In  September,  1896,  Dr.  Peeler  married  Miss  Katherine  Seaman,  a 
■daughter  of  Benjamin  B.  Seaman  and  a  niece  of  our  subject's  former  pre- 
•ceptor.  As  a  family  they  are  actively  identified  with  the  interests  of  Har- 
rison, and  are  regarded  as  prominent  residents  by  the  members  of  that  grow- 
ing town. 

CHARLES  H.  ABBOTT. 

For  a  score  of  years  this  sterling  old  citizen  of  Westchester  county  has 
held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  in  Pound  Ridge  township.  He  comes 
from  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  this  locality,  and  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead,  which  he  now  owns  and  carries  on.  On  the  paternal  side  he  is 
of  English  descent,  as  his  name  implies,  and  his  ancestors  were  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Connecticut.  His  grandfather,  Ebenezer  Abbott, 
was  a  native  of  the  town  of  Wilton,  Connecticut,  and  both  he  and  his  wife, 
whose  girlhood  name  was  Molly  Adams,  lived  for  some  years  in  Lewisboro 
township,  this  county,  and  there  passed  to  their  last  reward.  Their  son, 
Moses  A.,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  review,  was  born  in  Wilton,  Cpn- 
necticut,  in  1795,  and  died,  when  in  his  ninety-seventh  year,  in  1891.  His 
boyhood  and  youth  were  spent  in  this  county,  and  for  many  years,  when  he 
Avas  in  his  prime,  he  was  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  his  home 
neighborhood.     He  chose  for  his  wife:  Miss  Phcebe  Lynes,  a  native  of  Lewis- 


560  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

boro  township,  a  daughter  of  Holly  Lynes,  who  was  of  French  extraction. 
She  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  to  which  her  husband  also  belonged.  He  was  a  Whig  and  Repub- 
hcan  in  his  political  views,  and  enjoyed  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Charles  H.  Abbott,  whose  birth  occurred  June  3,  1839,  is  one  of  nine 
children,  five  of  whom  are  deceased,  namely:  William,  Elizabeth,  Ebenezer, 
Ebenezer  (the  second)  and  Betsey  J.  Those  of  the  family  who  survive  are 
Cordelia,  widow  of  Thomas  L.  Downs,  of  Montour,  Tama  county,  Iowa; 
Emily,  wife  of  Aaron  Schofield,  of  Pound  Ridge  township;  JuHa,  wife  of 
Enoch  Ambler,  of  Garwin,  Tama  county,  Iowa;  and  Charles  H. 

In  his  youth  Charles  H.  Abbott  received  an  excellent  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  this  county,  and  by  special  study  and  "  burning  of  the 
midnight  oil "  prepared  himself  for  the  work  of  teaching.  Having  success- 
fully passed  the  required  examinations  he  was  granted  a  teacher's  certificate 
and  for  the  following  decade  gave  his  attention  to  educational  work.  Since 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  has  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  agriculture 
and  has  cultivated  the  old  homestead  of  seventy  acres.  The  place  is  well 
improved  with  substantial  buildings,  a  good  orchard  and  fences,  and  is  one 
of  the  best  in  the  township.  The  year  1864  Mr.  Abbott  spent  in  Tama  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  had  some  idea  of  permanently  locating,  but  he  changed  his 
plans  and  ultimately  returned  to  the  place  made  dear  to  him  by  the  associa- 
tions of  childhood.  In  1893  he  went  on  an  extended  visit  to  Tama  county, 
and,  though  for  some  reasons  he  believes  it  might  have  been  better  for  him 
to  have  remained  in  the  west  after  the  close  of  the  civil  war,  he  does  not 
regret  his  decision  to  live  and  die  in  the  home  of  his  father. 

In  1883  Mr.  Abbott  married  Miss  Louisa  Newman,  a  daughter  of  David 
Newman, of  Brooklyn,  New  York.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Abbott  are  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  take  an  intelligent  interest  in  all 
movements  calculated  to  accrue  to  the  lasting  benefit  of  their  fellow-citizens. 
They  give  their  earnest  support  to  various  benevolent  and  religious  enter- 
prises, and  are  always  to  be  safely  relied  upon  to  use  their  influence  and 
means  in  the  upholding  of  righteous  law  and  good  government.  In  his  polit- 
ical affiliations  Mr.  Abbott  is  a  Republican. 


FRANCIS  D.    BROWN. 


This  honored  and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  North  Salem  township, 
Westchester  county,  was  born  July  12,  1822,  on  the  farm  where  he  still  con- 
tinues to  reside.  His  great-grandfather,  Samuel  Brown,  was  born  in  1734, 
in  Stamford,  England,  and  later  emigrated  to  America,  locating  in  Stamford, 
Connecticut.     In  1772  he  came  to  Delancy  township,  now  known   as  North, 


T"n&Lfcwis  FijJjlisiivn.g,   Co. 


J^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  561 

Salem,  in  Westchester  county.  New  York,  where  his  death  occurred,  in 
1815.  His  wife  Susan,  who  was  born  March  28,  1737,  Hved  to  the  extreme 
old  age  of  one  hundred  and  three  years.  Their  children  were  Rebecca, 
Mrs.  Abby  Palmer,  Susanna,  Nathan,  Prudence,  Samuel  W. ,  Mrs.  McGil- 
lavry  and  Mrs.  Lamb. 

Nathan  Brown,  the  grandfather  of  Francis  D.,iwas  born  in  Connecticut 
February  20,  1767,  and  in  early  manhood  married  Miss  Lobdell,  by  whom 
he  had  four  children, — Mary,  Thomas  (father  of  our  subject),  Abby  and  Ann. 
For  his  second  wife  he  married  a  Miss  Allen,  and  they  had  one  child,  whom 
they  named  Susan.      Nathan  Brown  and  both  his  wives  died  in  this  county. 

Thomas  Brown,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  and  reared  on  the  old 
homestead  where  his  son  is  now  living,  and  throughout  life  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  there.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  and  prominent  citizens 
of  his  community,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  an  active  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  died  June  24,  1857,  a-t  the  age  of  sixty- 
three  years.  In  early  life  he  married  Miss  Sally  Williams,  of  Bedford,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Polly  Williams,  who  were  related  to  the  Lounsberrys 
of  this  county.  Mrs.  Brown  departed  this  life  November  4,  1891,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-eight  years.  She  was  a  devout  Christian,  kind  and  charitable 
at  all  times;  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  she  did  more  work  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  than  any  other  woman  of  the  congregation  to  which  she 
belonged.  In  her  family  were  one  son  (our  subject)  and  four  daughters,  all 
residents  of  North  Salem  township,  the  daughters  being:  Susan,  the  wife  of 
Clark  Lobdell;  Mary,  widow  of  Hiram  Reynolds;  Chloe,  the  widow  of 
Charles  Bloomer;  and  Clarissa,  the  wife  of  Martin  Todd. 

On  the  home  farm  Mr.  Brown  early  became  familiar  with  every  depart- 
ment of  farm  work,  and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  thorough  and 
skillful  agriculturists  of  his  community.  His  literary  education  was  obtained 
in  the  public  schools  and  the  old  Salem  Academy.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven  he  married  Miss  Almira  P.  Frost,  of  the  same  town,  a  daughter  of 
Stedwell  and  Eliza  (Fowler)  Frost,  both  of  whom  died  in  that  township. 
Mrs.  Brown  departed  this  life  in  1865,  leaving  two  children:  Elbert  D.,  and 
Mary  E. ,  now  the  wife  of  James  Colwell,  of  New  York  city,  by  whom  she 
had  one  son, — Francis,  deceased,  and  a  daughter,  Mary  F.  Elbert  D.  grew 
to  manhood  upon  the  home  farm  and  February  20,  1878,  married  Miss 
Frances  I.  Stevens,  of  Delaware  county.  New  York,  a  daughter  of  James  W. 
and  Catherine  (Christie)  Stevens.  They  have  had  four  children,  two  of 
whom,  Almira  C.  and  Francis  D.,  Jr.,  are  living.  Our  subject  was  again 
married  in  1868,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Jane  E.  Landrine,  of 
Tarrytown,  this  county.      She  died  November  25,  1892,  leaving  no  children. 

In  his  political  predilections  Mr.  Brown  has   always  been  a  Democrat, 

36 


562  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

and  for  the  long  period  of  twenty-four  years  he  most  efficiently  served  his  fel- 
low citizens  in  the  capacity  of  road  commissioner.  He  has  always  taken  a 
most  active  part  in  church  and  Sunday-school  work,  as  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  being  for  half  a  century  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school,  and  he  is  therefore  well  known  throughout  the  country  in  this 
part  of  New  York  state  for  his  efficiency  in  that  line.  Although  seventy-six 
years  of  age  he  is  still  well  preserved,  for  nature  deals  kindly  with  the  man 
who  abuses  not  her  laws,  and  he  has  an  extensive  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances  who  esteem  him  highly  for  his  genuine  worth. 


HENRY  F.   PATCH,   M.   D. 

The  genial  gentleman  whose  name  adorns  this  page.  Dr.  Henry  F. 
Patch,  of  Chappaqua,  New  York,  is  one  of  the  best  known  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  Westchester  county,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  practice  for 
a  period  of  twenty- four  years,  he  having  located  here  in  1874. 

Dr.  Patch  was  born  December  7,  1839,  in  Francestown,  New  Hamp- 
shire, a  son  of  William  and  Sallie  (Stevans)  Patch,  representatives  of  families 
that  were  counted  among  the  early  settlers  of  New  England.  Dr.  Patch's 
education,  begun  in  the  public  schools,  was  carried  forward  at  Francestown 
Academy  and  completed  at  Dartmouth  Medical  College,  Hanover,  New  Hamp- 
shire, where  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1866.  In  that  year  he  opened 
an  office  in  Harlin,  and  in  1874  became  identified  with  Chappaqua,  where  he 
soon  built  up  and  has  retained  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 

The  year  of  his  location  in  New  York,  Dr.  Patch  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Leonora  Bull,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  and  their  home  circle  in- 
cludes four  children, — Florence  E.,  Lillie  L. ,  Daisy  M.  and  Harry  F.  Their 
charming  abode  is  a  historic  place,  it  being  the  old  Greeley  homestead,  where 
Horace  Greeley  produced  one  of  his  best  works. 

In  social  and  fraternal  cirtles  the  Doctor  has  a  wide  popularity.  He  is 
a  member  of  several  medical  societies,  among,  them  the  Westchester  Medical 
Society;  also  he  is  a  member  of  Greeley  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  of  Chappaqua, 
of  which  he  is  the  secretary. 


ROBERT  T.  EMMET. 


The  name  of  Emmet  is  one  which  has  been  long  and  conspicuously 
identified  with  the  history  of  the  Empire  state,  and  is  one  in  which  each  suc- 
cessive generation  has  produced  men  of  honor  and  sterling  worth, — men  who 
have  honored  and  been  honored  by  the  state  which  gave  them  birth  and 
which  has  figured  as  the  field  of  their  respective  endeavors  in  connection  with 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  £63 

the  material  activities  which  have  ever  conserved  the  progress  and  prosperity 
of  the  Union.  From  the  Emerald  Isle  came  the  first  American  ancestor, 
Addis  Emmet,  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  about  1804,  locating  in  New  York 
city.  He  soon  won  prestige  as  a  prominent  lawyer  and  was  elected  attorney 
general  of  the  state.  His  son,  Robert  Emmet,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  came  to  the  United  States  during  his  child- 
hood. Entering  the  legal  profession,,  he  was  called  to  the  important  office  of 
corporation  counsel  of  the  city  of  New  York,  and  also  filled  the  position  of 
judge  of  the  common-pleas  court.  His  death  occurred  in  New  Rochelle,  in 
1873.  Several  representatives  of  the  family  have  gained  marked  distinction 
at  the  bar,  their  eminent  ability  reflecting  credit  upon  the  profession  with 
which  they  were  allied. 

William  J.  Emmet,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  New  York  city, 
where  he  acquired  his  education  and  was  reared  to  manhood.  Entering  upon 
his  business  career,  he  was  for  a  number  of  years  successfully  engaged  in  the 
sugar-refining  business  in  the  metropolis.  He  married  Julia  C.  Pierson,  and 
they  are  now  honored  residents  of  New  Rochelle.  Mrs.  Emmet  is  a  native 
of  Ramapo,  Rockland  county,  New  York,  and  her  grandfather,  Josiah  Pier- 
son,  was  the  founder  of  the  East  Ramapo  Iron  &  Foundry  Works.  He  was 
there  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  iron  and  at  the  same  time 
operated  an  extensive  factory. 

Robert  T.  Emmet  was  born  in  New  York  city  in  1854.  He  studied  in  a 
private  boarding  school,  after  which  he  entered  West  Point  Military  Academy, 
on  the  Hudson,  pursuing  the  four-years  course  of  that  institution.  He  was 
graduated  in  1877,  and  continuing  in  the  military  service  of  his  country  as  a 
member  of  the  Ninth  Regiment  of  United  States  Regular  Cavalry,  he  went  to 
the  frontier  to  aid  in  the  suppression  of  the  Indians,  who  frequently  menaced 
the  property  and  lives  of  the  pioneers  on  the  western  borders.  He  served  in 
that  cavalry  command  for  fourteen  years  and  for  four  years  was  on  the  staff 
of  General  Pope,  after  which,  with  his  regiment,  he  was  stationed  at  Fort 
Niobrara,  Nebraska. 

Resigning  his  commission  in  1891,  Mr.  Emmet  returned  to  New  Rochelle, 
New  York,  where  he  has  since  resided,  giving  his  attention  to  civil  engineer- 
ing. On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with  Spain,  he  volunteered  and  was 
commissioned  major  in  the  First  Infantry  New  York  Volunteers,  and  served 
for  some  months  in  the  Hawaiian  islands  with  that  regiment.  In  1883  Mr. 
Emmet  was  married  to  Miss  Helena  V.  C.  Phelps,  only  daughter  of  Henry 
D.  and  Kate  Phelps.  Her  father  belongs  to  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
honored  families  of  Westchester  county,  and  has  long  been  a  valued  resident 
of  New  Rochelle.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emmet  have  three  children,  two  sons  and 
a  daughter, — Robert  M.,  Herman  L.  R.  and  Anita  H.     Mr.  Emmet  belongs 


564  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

to  the  University  Club,  of  New  York  city,  and  the  New  York  Yacht  Club- 
While  campaigning  in  the  west  he  acquired  a  fund  of  interesting  and  oft- 
times  amusing  reminiscences,  which  enrich  his  conversation  and,  together 
with  his  genial  disposition,  unfailing  courtesy  and  uniform  kindness,  render 
him  a  social  favorite. 

CHARLES  G.  BANKS. 

Charles  G.  Banks  is  ex-register  of  Westchester  county,  ex-president  of 
New  Rochelle,  having  held  the  office  for  three  terms  in  succession,  and 
ex-police  justice  and  corporation  counsel  of  New.  Rochelle,  New  York.  An 
enumeration  of  riiose  men  of  the  present  generation  who  have  won  honor 
and  public  recognition  for  themselves,  and  at  the  same  time  have  honored 
the  state  to  which  they  belong,  would  be  incomplete  were  there  failure  to 
make  prominent  reference  to  the  one  whose  name  initiates  this  paragraph. 
He  holds  distinctive  precedence  as  a  safe  and  careful  lawyer,  and  has  been 
and  is  pre-eminently  a  man  of  affairs,  wielding  a  wide  influence.  A  strong 
mentality,  an  invincible  courage  and  a  most  determined  individuality,  have  sO' 
entered  into  his  make-up  as  to  render  him  a  natural  leader  of  men  and  a 
director  of  opinion.  For  twenty  years  he  has  been  an  important  figure  in 
legal  and  commercial  circles  in  New  Rochelle,  and  is  a  representative  of  one 
of  the  old  families  of  the  county. 

In  Middle  Patten,  in  the  town  of  North  Castle,  Westchester  county, 
Charles  G.  Banks,  was  born  May  26,  1847,  his  parents  being  Captain  James 
P.  and  Thurza  A.  (Palmer)  Banks.  His  paternal  grandparents  were  James 
and  Sarah  (Lane)  Banks,  and  his  maternal  grandparents  were  Allen  and 
Sarah  (Smith)  Palmer.  In  his  father's  family  were  four  children,  his  brother 
being  William  L.  Banks,  of  White  Plains,  and  his  sisters  are  Clarissa  A. 
Banks  and  Mrs.  Lizetta  P.  Hegeman,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York.  For  several 
generations  the  representatives  of  the  Banks  and  Palmer  families  had  been 
industrious  and  respected  farming  people  of  the  town  of  North  Castle  and 
the  central  part  of  Westchester  county. 

When  seventeen  years  of  age,  Charles  G.  Banks  left  the  farm,  his  father 
having  died  some  twelve  years  before,  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and 
in  1865  accepted  the  position  of  clerk  in  the  LeRoy  Place  Hotel,  at  New 
Rochelle,  under  his  uncle,  George  W.  Banks.  He  was  afterward  made 
manager,  and  then  became  proprietor  of  this  once  well-known  summer  resort, 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire  some  years  ago.  Although  he  met  with  success 
in  this  undertaking,  he  did  not  find  it  altogether  to  his  taste,  and  in  1872 
he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Charles  H.  Roosevelt,  of  New 
Rochelle,  New  York.  In  1873  he  entered  the  New  York  University,  ani 
was  graduated  in  the  law  department  of  that  institution  in  the  class  of  1875. 


m^tA 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  565 

He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  at  a  special  term  of  the  supreme  court  in  Pough- 
keepsie,  the  same  year,  and  in  July,  1875,  became  the  senior  member  of  the 
well-known  law  firm  of  Banks  &  Keogh,  his  partner  being  Judge  Martin  J. 
Keogh,  of  the  second  department. 

A  short  time  before  his  graduation  Mr.  Banks  was  elected  upon  the 
Republican  ticket  to  the  office  of  police  justice  of  New  Rochelle  for  a  term 
of  four  years,  and  was  subsequently  chosen  corporation  counsel  of  that  city, 
which  office  he  acceptably  filled  for  several  years.  In  1877  he  became  the 
Republican  nominee  for  registrar  of  Westchester  county,  against  Stephen  S. 
Marshall,  the  Democratic  nominee,  and,  after  a  very  active  and  hotly  con- 
tested campaign,  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  seventeen  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-seven, although  the  county  went  Democratic  by  over  a  thousand  major- 
ity. This  was  certainly  a  high  tribute  to  his  personal  popularity,  and  was 
an  indication  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow-townsmen  and 
friends  throughout  the  county.  He  was  again  a  candidate,  in  the  fall  of 
1880,  but  was  defeated,  by  a  few  votes,  with  the  remainder  of  the  ticket. 
For  a  period  of  six  successive  years  (three  terms)  he  was  president  of  New 
Rochelle,  his  first  opponent  being  the  late  James  W.  Todd;  his  second,  Hon. 
John  Q.  Underbill,  and  third,  Charles  H.  Roosevelt,  and  his  administration 
of  the  public  affairs  was  most  progressive,  business-like  and  commendable. 
His  fidelity  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty  devolving  upon  him  in  connection 
with  public  office  is  above  question,  and  his  service  has  ever  materially 
advanced  the  interests  of  the  community  he  represents.  For  ten  years  he 
was  an  active  member  of  the  fire  department,  and  within  that  period  was 
both  foreman  and  assistant  foreman  of  his  company. 

Mr.  Banks'  operations  in  real  estate  have  been  extensive  and  profitable. 
He  owns  much  valuable  property  in  New  Rochelle  and  elsewhere  in  West- 
chester county  and  has  erected  many  buildings  in  the  city,  including  the 
United  States  post-office  building,  a  three-story  brick  structure,  one  hundred 
and  ten  feet  long,  at  the  corner  of  Huguenot  and  Bridge  streets.  New  Ro- 
chelle. It  is  in  this  building  that  his  law  offices  are  located.  In  his  practice 
he  has  steadily  risen  to  an  eminent  position  at  the  Westchester  county  bar, 
and  he  has  a  large  and  lucrative  clientage.  He  has  largely  mastered  the 
science  of  jurisprudence,  and  prides  himself  on  a  thorough  preparation  of 
every  case  committed  to  his  care,  which  enables  him  to  meet  fairly  any  con- 
tingency that  may  arise,  and  his  opponent  often  finds  great  difficulty  in  over- 
throwing his  masterful  logic.  Mr.  Banks  is  a  member  of  the  State  Bar  Asso- 
ciation, the  Westchester  County  Bar  Association,  the  Republican  Club,  the 
Board  of  Trade  of  New  Rochelle,  and  the  Exempt  Firemen's  Association. 

Mr.  Banks  married  Miss  Fannie  E.  Morgan,  only  daughter  of  Charles 
V.  and  Susan  M.  (Badeau)  Morgan,  of  the  town  of  East  Chester.      For  the 


566  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

past  ten  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Banks  have  spent  the  winters  in  sunny  Florida, 
where  he  has  ample  opportunity  to  indulge  his  taste  for  tarpon  fishing.  He 
finds  another  source  of  recreation  in  driving,  and  is  a  lover  of  a  good  horse. 
He  has  owned  fully  a  dozen  with  a  record  of  2:20  or  better,  and  his  stables 
are  never  without  some  valuable  specimens  of  the  noble  steed.  He  is  also 
the  owner  and  proprietor  of  Fashion  Stock  Farm,  which  is  credited  in  the 
horse  world  with  choice  specimens  of  equine  stock.  His  life  is  practically 
that  of  a  self-made  man.  Through  his  own  efforts  he  has  risen  to  a  position 
of  professional  prominence  and  commercial  leadership,  and  at  the  same  time 
has  gained  the  highest  regard  of  an  ever  broadening  circle  of  acquaintances 
and  friends.  Mr.  Banks  enjoyed  the  friendship  and  confidence  of  the  late 
Hon.  William  H.  Robertson,  General  James  W.  Husted  and  Judge  Silas 
D.  Gifford,  all  of  whom  were  elected  to  office  upon  the  Republican  ticket 
with  him  upon  one  occasion. 

Among  the  important  criminal  cases  that  Mr.  Banks  was  connected  with 
early  in  practice,  and  successfully  helped  to  defend,  was  that  of  Richard 
Hanna,  indicted  and  tried  for  his  life,  for  the  murder  of  Thomas  White,  a 
hotel-keeper,  at  New  Rochelle,  and  also  the  case  of  Frederick  Eveson  (col- 
ored), indicted  and  tried  for  his  life  for  the  murder  of  a  white  girl  in  the  out- 
skirts of  Ne\^  Rochelle.  Eveson,  like  Hanna,  was  acquitted.  Another 
case  was  that  of  Levison,  the  jeweler,  indicted  for  grand  larceny,  charged 
with  extracting  a  three-hundred-dollar  diamond  from  a  ring  belonging  to  a 
Miss  Emmet,  and  substituting  an  imitation  in  its  place.  The  defence  was 
an  ingenious  one  and  the  jeweler  was  acquitted. 

Among  some  of  the  important  civil  cases  that  Mr.  Banks  has  been  con- 
nected with  in  the  past  might  be  mentioned  the  action  of  the  receiver  of  the 
New  Rochelle  Savings  Bank  versus  William  R.  Humphrey,  secretary;  George 
J.  Penfield,  president;  Thomas  L.  Disbrow,  treasurer;  and  George  Wilson 
and  others,  trustees.  This  action  was  brought  to  recover  upward  of  twenty 
thousand  dollars,  embezzled  by  the  secretary,  Humphrey.  Mr.  Banks 
appeared  for  trustee  Wilson  in  the  case,  but  really  in  fact  was  in  the  interest 
of  the  president,  Mr.  Penfield,  and  the  treasurer,  Mr.  Disbrow.  Through  a 
clever  arrangement  of  Mr.  Wilson's  counsel,  his  client  paid  a  nominal  sum 
for  a  general  release,  which  also  released  the  joint  wrong-doers,  Messrs. 
Penfield  and  Disbrow.  Another  important  case  was  that  relating  to  the  pro- 
bate of  the  will  of  the  late  James  Morgan.  Mr.  Banks  had  drawn  the  will, 
which  related  to  real  and  personal  estate  of  the  value  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  or  more.  The  probate  of  the  same  was  contested  from  the  surro- 
gate's court  to  the  court  of  appeals,  but  was  sustained  in  every  court. 

Mr.  Banks  is  and  has  been  executor  and  trustee  of  many  large  estates, 
among  which  might  be  mentioned  that  of'  the  late  Hon.  Albert  Badeau  and 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  567 

Henry  L.  Dean;  he  is  also  counsel  for  many  large  estates  and  has  the  hand- 
ling of  large  amounts  of  trust  funds  and  securities.  It  is  estimated  that  dur- 
ing the  past  fifteen  years  more  than  five  millions  of  dollars  have  been  per- 
sonally invested  by  him  for  his  clients,  in  county  bonds  and  mortgages. 

Mr.  Banks  politically  is  a  Republican,  but  has  many  warm  Democratic 
friends  and  supporters,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  in  the  dozen  times  or 
more  that  he  has  been  a  candidate  upon  the  Republican  ticket  he  has  always 
succeeded  in  getting  a  handsome  majority  in  the  city  and  town  in  w.hich  he 
resides.  Mr.  Banks  is  a  hard  worker,  does  his  own  thinking  and  is  noted  for 
his  staying  qualities. 

WILLIAM  VAN  DUZER  LAWRENCE. 

The  well  known  founder  of  Lawrence  Park,  Bronxville,  New  York,  is 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  purchased  about  one  hundred  acres  of  the 
old  Prescott  estate,  ten  years  ago,  and  transformed  it  into  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  attractive  suburban  parks  near  New  York  city.  The  grounds 
are  well  fitted  by  nature  for  the  purpose  for  which  they  are  now  used,  being 
considered  the  highest  and  most  picturesque  point  of  land  in  all  this  section 
of  the  country.  The  park  is  a  natural  forest  of  great  trees  and  has  been 
laid  out  in  irregular  lots,  with  roads  winding  in  and  out  instead  of  being  on 
regular  lines  and  blocks  as  is  usually  the  plan  in  laying  out  suburban  resi- 
dence districts.  These  lots  are  sold  under  certain  restrictions,  and  they 
have  been  taken  largely  by  the  artistic  and  literary  class  of  citizens,  and 
Lawrence  Park  has  become  quite  celebrated  for  its  colony  of  noted  people 
who  have  purchased  cottages- there. 

In  1897  Mr.  Lawrence  erected  the  Gramatan  Inn  on  the  top  of  Sunset 
hill  near  the  Bronxville  station.  It  contains  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
rooms,  has  wide  porches  and  verandas,  making  it  a  most  beautiful  place  in 
summer  and  winter  for  visitors  and  guests.  It  is  a  fine  Colonial  structure, 
with  all  modern  improvements,  including  electric  lights  and  bells,  and 
steam  heat,  and  from  its  verandas  one  has  a  fine  view,  extending  from  the 
Hudson  river  to  the  Sound.  In  the  winter  these  porches  are  inclosed  with 
glass,  forming  sun  parlors,  and  the  Inn  is  open  all  the  year  round.  One  of 
its  most  desirable  features  is  its  close  proximity  to  the  city,  being  only  a 
twenty-six  minutes'  run  on  the  New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad  from  the  Grand 
Central  station,  Forty-second  street,  New  York,  so  that  the  busy  man,  who 
is  obliged  to  remain  in  the  city  during  the  day,  can  here  find  cool,  bracing 
country  air,  where  he  can  enjoy  the  society  of  his  family  and  friends  in  the 
evening.  In  the  construction  of  the  hotel  no  convenience  has  been  omitted 
that  would  add  to  the  happiness  and  comfort  of  the  guests. 

Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  native  of  New  York  city,  where  he  was  reared  and 


568  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

educated,  is  a  cultured  and  pleasant  gentleman  and  thorough  business  man. 
He  has  not  developed  Lawrence  Park  as  a  money-making  scheme,  as  is 
usually  the  case  in  suburban  park  affairs,  but  his  methods  have  been  quite 
original  and  new,  and  therefore  successful. 


NORMAN  SECOR,  Jr. 


Ad  historic  old  family  of  Westchester  county  is  the  one  of  v/hich  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  is  a  worthy  scion.  The  Secors  were  among  the  French 
Huguenots  who,  fleeing  from  the  persecutions  with  which  they  were  beset  in 
their  own  loved  country,  came  to  the  hospitable  shores  of  the  New  World, 
where  they  might  have  "  freedom  to  worship  God  "  according  to  the  dictates 
of  their  hearts.  This  little  band  of  refugees  landed  at  New  Rochelle,  West- 
chester county,  in  1681,  and  here  they  founded  homes  and  became  a  thriving, 
prosperous  little  colony,  respected  by  all  with  whom  they  had  dealings. 

The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  belonged  to  this  brave  band,  and 
his  son  Thomas,  the  next  in  the  line  of  descent,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity 
of  East  Chester,  this  county,  where  he  spent  his  entire  life.  His  son  Nor- 
man, the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  town  of  East  Chester,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1818,  and  after  having  spent  a  long,  useful  life  as  a  tiller  of  the 
soil  is  now  enjoying  a  justly  earned  rest  from  labor.  He  has  passed  the 
eightieth  milestone  on  life's  journey,  and  for  one  of  his  years  has  remarkably 
good  health.  In  his  early  manhood  he  chose  for  his  wife  Mary  Ann  Purtell, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  New  Rochelle,  in  1830,  her  parents  being  James  and 
Anna  Purtell,  of  that  locality.      Mrs.  Mary  Secor  is  also  living. 

Norman  Secor,  Jr.,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  Westchester 
county,  January  4,  1852,  and  from  his  earliest  recollection  has  been  occupied 
in  the  varied  duties  of  farm  life.  Under  his  father's  tutelage  he  acquired 
practical  knowledge  of  agriculture,  and  in  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
he  received  a  liberal  business  education.  Later  he  was  a  student  in  the 
Ardsley  school  for  a  few  months,  and  by  private  study  and  reading  he  became 
the  well  informed  man  that  he  is  to-day.  Having  given  his  father  his  assist- 
ance until  he  reached  his  majority  the  young  man  then  embarked  in  business 
on  his  own  account,  and  from  that  time  until  the  present  has  carried  on  a 
farm,  keeping  from  eighteen  to  twenty  cows  for  dairy  purposes,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  this  he  handles  annually  about  five  thousand  tons  of  ice.  His  good 
business  methods  and  industry  have  wrought  out  success  for  him,  and  he  is 
now  well-to-do  and  prosperous.  He  owns  considerable  property,  and  from 
time  to  time  has  made  profitable  investments. 

It  is  in  his  happy  home  circle  that  Mr.  Secor  finds  his  chief  pleasure  in 
life,  and   there,  surrounded  by  his   family,  the  cares  of  the  busy  world  seem 


^e^^^^^^^^ 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  569 

far  away.  It  was  in  1872  that  he  was  united  in  wedlock  with  Mary  Ann 
Lander,  eldest  daughter  of  Henry  S.  and  Ann  (Williams)  Lander.  Her 
father,  a  native  of  England,  is  engaged  in  farming  and  is  also  interested  in 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  a  fertilizer.  Like  her  husband,  Mrs.  Secor  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  and  from  childhood  they  were  friends  and 
companions.  Four  sons  and  three  daughters  blessed  their  home,  namely: 
Henry  R.,  Alice  M.,  Harriet  W. ,  Mabel  B.,  Arthur  W.,  Ethie  J.  and  Jerome. 
Henry  is  married  and  has  three  sons,  Thomas  M.,  Russell  H.  and  Thornton, 
and  they  have  nine  grand  and  great-grandparents  living !  Alice,  the  eldest 
daughter,  is  the  wife  of  Fred  H.  Wille,  of  Ardsley,  New  York,  and  they  have 
one  son,  Kenneth  R. ,  who  has  eight  grand  and  great -grandparents  Hving. 
The  family  is  one  noted  for  longevity. 

Though  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  never  neglects  his  duty  as  a 
voter,  Mr.  Secor  has  steadfastly  refrained  from  entering  politics,  refusing  to 
accept  public  office.  His  time  is  given  to  his  family,  his  friends  and  his 
business,  and  in  all  life's  relations  he  is  accorded  and  justly  merits  the  high 
regard  of  his  many  friends. 


JAMES  A.   GRENZEBACH. 

Westchester  county  has  been  the  home  and  scene  of  labor  of  many  men 
who  have  not  only  led  lives  that  should  serve  as  an  example  to  those  who 
come  after  them  but  have  also  been  of  important  service  to  their  town  and 
county  through  various  avenues  of  usefulness.  Among  them  must  be  named 
James  A.  Grenzebach,  who  died  of  heart  failure  September  2,  1892,  after  a 
Hfe  of  industry,  and  one  which  was  rich  in  those  rare  possessions  which  only 
a  high  character  can  give. 

He  was  born  in  New  York  city,  in  1837,  and  spent  his  boyhood  in  Pel- 
ham,  Westchester  county,  receiving  a  good  public-school  and  academic  edu- 
cation. His  father  was  a  farmer  and  a  worthy  citizen  of  his  community. 
Our  subject  began  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  for  Harper  Brothers,  of  New 
York  city,  and  in  1867  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Maxjield  &  Company, 
dealers  in  and  importers  of  fruit,  doing  business  at  the  corner  of  Washington 
and  Fulton  streets.  New  York.  That  partnership  was  dissolved  in  1876  and 
he  came  to  New  Rochelle,  Westchester  county,  where  the  firm  of  Grenze- 
bach &  Carpenter  was  formed,  our  subject  having  purchased  the  interest  of 
Charles  Hoffmeister  in  the  lumber  and  coal  business.  The  firm  soon  won 
an  enviable  reputation  and  were  wonderfully  successful.  The  January  before 
his  death  Mr.  Grenzebach  practically  retired  from  the  company,  though  he 
was  still  retained  as  a  special  partner,  and  the  name  was  changed  to  Car- 
penter, Todd  &  Company 


570  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

He  married  Miss  Annie  E.  Carpenter,  a  sister  of  his  partner,  Robert  P. 
Carpenter,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four  children,  one  son  and  three 
daughters,  who  yet  survive  him.  All  are  unmarried  with  the  exception  of 
Mrs.  Harry  H.  Todd. 

Mr.  Grenzebach  was  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Enterprise  Hook 
and  Ladder  Company;  also  belonged  to  the  Yacht  Club  and  the  Maenerchor; 
and  was  an  honorary  member  of  the  Rowing  Club.  In  politics  he  was  an 
ardent  Democrat,  and  he  was  often  called  upon  to  fill  public  positions  of 
honor  and  trust,  being  trustee  of  the  village  in  1879,  1880,  1881,  1883,  1884, 
1888  and  1889.  He  was  also  village  treasurer  in  1889  and  again  in  1892, 
being  unanimously  elected  in  the  spring  of  the  latter  year.  For  fourteen 
consecutive  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  education,  and  spent 
much  time  and  energy  as  a  member  of  the  committee  on  buildings  and 
grounds.  He  was  always  willing  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  any  good  cause, 
or  to  sympathize  with  and  aid  those  in  distress.  Although  quick  to  resent 
an  injury,  he  was  always  willing  to  forgive,  and  was  deeply  attached  to  his 
home  and  family.  The  large  attendance  at  his  funeral  testified  to  the  esteem 
in  which  he  was  held  by  the  entire  community,  and  his  remains  were  laid  to 
rest  with  honor  in  the  Woodlawn  cemetery.  Generous  and  sympathetic,  he 
made  friends  easily,  and  he  justly  deserved  the  high  regard  in  which  he  was 
uniformly  held. 

JAMES  W.    TODD. 

The  late  James  W.  Todd  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  prominent 
and  influential  citizens  of  New  Rochelle,  New  York,  always  taking  a  leading 
and  active  part  in  public  affairs,  and  in  his  death  the  community  realized 
that  it  had  lost  one  of  its  most  useful  and  valuable  citizens.  He  was  born 
December  6,  1837,  and  began  his  business  career  as  a  boy  in  the  employ  of 
Berrian  &  Company,  then  the  leading  dealers  in  house  furnishings  in  New 
York  city,  and  he  remained  with  the  firm  some  years,  advancing  step  by  step 
until  he  became  manager.  After  his  marriage  he  embarked  in  the  jewelry 
business  with  his_  father-in-law,  George  W.  Piatt,  at  the  corner  of  Maiden 
Lane  and  Liberty  Place,  New  York  city,  and  for  many  years  he  successfully 
engaged  in  that  business,  giving  it  up  on  account  of  ill  health.  Thinking  that 
country  air  would  benefit  him,  he  came  to  New  Rochelle  and  opened  an  office 
as  a  real-estate  and  insurance  agent.  However,  he  continued  to  visit  the 
city  every  other  day  to  attend  to  an  optical  business  which  he  had  estab- 
lished, and  in  which  he  retained  an  interest  as  long  as  his  health  and  strength 
would  permit.  His  death  occurred  August  4,  1893,  and  his  remains  were 
laid  to  rest  in  Woodlawn  cemetery. 

Being  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  man,  Mr.  Todd  wielded  a  wide 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

influence  in  the  village,  and  his  record  is  a  monument  of  good  citizensl 
For  twenty-three  years  he  was  one  of  the  most  efficient  and  untjring  worl 
on  the  board  of  education,  during  most  of  that  time  serving  as  either 
president  or  secretary,  and  both  positions  he  filled  with  marked  abil 
though  he  received  no  compensation  for  his  valuable  services.  For  four  ye 
he  was  also  secretary  of  the  sewer  commission  and  took  a  deep  interest 
pride  in  its  work.  In  1875  ^-^d  1876  he  was  the  efficient  and  popular  pr 
dent  of  the  village  of  New  Rochelle. 

Mr.  Todd  was  a  hard  worker  and  successful  business  man,  and  for  sc 
time  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Bank  of  New  Rochelle.  On  his  remc 
to  that  place  he  purchased  a  beautiful  site  on  Long  Island  Sound,  and  th 
erected  a  most  comfortable  home,  where  he  continued  to  live  until  cal 
from  this  life.  After  his  health  began  to  fail  he  made  frequent  trips 
Florida,  where  he  and  several  of  his  New  Rochelle  friends  had  invested 
orange  plantations.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  Huguenot  Lodge,  F 
A.  M. ;  Huguenot  Council,  Royal  Arcanum,  and  formerly  was  an  honored  : 
active  member  of  the  Enterprise  Truck  Company.  He  was  a  noted  mai 
man,  and  often  carried  away  the  first  prize  at  contests,  including  those  h 
at  Wimbleton  and  Creedmoor.  During  his  busy  and  useful  career  he  ne 
neglected  the  holier  duties  of  life,  but  was  an  active  an  influential  membei 
the  Salem  Baptist  church,  at  New  Rochelle,  and  served  as  its  treasurer, 
was  a  man  of  whom  it  may  truly  be  said  that  the  world  was  better  for 
having  lived. 

Mr.  Todd  married  Miss  Mary  N.  Piatt,  and  at  his  death  left  a  widow  £ 
five  sons:  William,  the  eldest,  is  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business  in  W 
San  Francisco,  California;  Walter  Herbert  is  an  assayer;  Harry  H.  is  tre 
urer  of  the  New  Rochelle  Coal  &  Lumber  Company;  George  is  a  c 
engineer  ;  and  Irving  is  a  clerk  in  the  Bank  of  New  Rochelle. 


REV.   JOHN  A.   KELLNER. 

The  rector  of  St.  Gabriel's  Catholic  church,  of  New  Rochelle,  the  R 
John  A.  Kellner,  was  born  in  New  York  and  acquired  his  preliminary  edu 
tion  in  the  parochical  schools,  after  which  he  attended  St.  Francis  Xa\ 
College,  of  his  native  city,  in  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1875.  AJ 
acting  as  assistant  for  several  years  in  the  parishes  of  St.  Nicholas,  Secc 
street,  and  St.  Joseph,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  street,*he  was  selec 
by  Archbishop  Corrigan  to  form  the  chancel  choir  and  take  charge  of 
musical  part  of  the  services  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathederal.  There  he  labo 
for  six  years,  with  remarkable  success,  and  at  the  close  of  that  period  he  \ 
selected  to  take  charge  of  St.  Gabriel's  church,  whither  he  came  in  1893. 


572  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

has  since  lived  and  labored  in  New  Rochelle,  and  his  efforts  have  been  most 
effective.  When  he  assumed  charge  there  was  a  membership  of  three  hun- 
dred families,  representing  a  parish  of  two  thousand  souls. 

The  beautiful  church  edifice  and  rectory  were  the  gift  of  the  Iselin  fam- 
ily, and  occupy  one  of  the  most  desirable  sites  in  New  Rochelle.  The  church 
is  constructed  in  the  Roman-Norman  style  of  blue  granite  and  is  one  hundred 
feet  long,  eighty  feet  wide  and  seventy  feet  high.  A  square  Norman  tower 
containing  a  clock  and  peal  of  bells  rises  many  feet  above  the  highest  point 
•of  the  roof,  which  is  covered  by  beautiful  dark  red  Venetian  tiles.  The 
work  of  the  church  in  its  various  departments  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
There  is  a  prosperous  Sunday-school,  also  an  excellent  parochial  school,  in 
charge  of  the  sisters,  and  it  was  through  the  instrumentality  of  Father 
Kellner  that  the  Adrian  Iselin  gymnasium  was  donated  to  the  sisters  school. 
It  is  a  beautiful  brick  structure,  appropriately  equipped  in  keeping  with  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  designed.  A  handsome  residence,  also  the  gift  of 
Mrs.  Iselin,  has  recently  been  erected  for  the  sisters  of  charity. 

Father  Kellner  not  only  organized  his  own  parish  and  made  it  an  excel- 
lent working  one,  but  also  extended  his  field  of  labors  in  1896  by  erecting  and 
equipping  St.  Catherine's  church,  of  Pelham,  making  it  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  little  churches  outside  the  metropolis.  He  is  a  man  of  scholarly 
attainments,  of  broard,  general  information,  as  well  as  versed  extensively  in 
church  lore,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  respected  and  beloved  priests 
in  the  archdiocese  of  New  York.  He  gives  his  labors  untiringely  to  the 
advancement  of  the  cause  of  the  church,  and  his  efforts  have  been  followed 
by  excellent  results. 

CHARLES  FRYER. 
One  of  Westchester  county's  most  distinguished  and  honored  citizens, 
and  an  author  of  considerable  prominence,  is  Charles  Pryer,  who  resided 
upon  the  old  Pryer  homestead  in  the  town  of  New  Rochelle,  where  he  was 
born  in  1851.  His  father,  John  Pryer,  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in 
1802,  and  after  completing  his  education  in  the  schools  of  the  metropolis,  he 
began  his  business  career  there  as  a  merchant.  In  1839  he  removed,  with 
his  family,  to  the  town  of  Mamaroneck,  Westchester  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  but  soon  afterward  disposed  of 
that  property.  His  death  occurred  April  18,  1875,  and  his  wife,  who  sur- 
vived him.for  some  years,  departed  this  life  June  9,  1887,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-five. They  were  the  parents  of  five  children  who  reached  years  of  matur- 
ity, but  George  is  now  deceased,  and  William  E.  died  September  24,  1888, 
in  New  Rochelle,  where  he  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
■irom  1867  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  having  a  large  practice;  John  T. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  578 

resides  in  New  York  city;  Adeline  C.  makes  tier  home  in  New  Rochelle;  and 
Ciiarles  completes  the  family. 

On  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  sides  our  subject  is  descended  from 
most  distinguished  ancestry.  Jasper  Pryer,  the  founder  of  the  family  in 
America,  was  a  Norman  Knight  and  a  descendant  of  Sir  Thomas  Pryer, 
guardian  of  Prince  Edward,  known  as  the  Black  Prince.  It  was  in  1692  that 
Jasper  Pryer  came  to  the  New  World  and  located  in  New  York  city,  where 
he  removed  his  family.  One  of  his  sons  later  became  a  resident  of  Bergen 
county,  New  Jersey.  Our  subject's  great-grandfather  was  Thomas  Pryer,, 
and  his  grandfather  was  Captain  Thomas  Pryer,  who  made  his  home  in  New 
York  city  during  life  and  was  in  the  United  States  Navy  for  a  number  of 
years.  Mrs.  Pryer,  our  subject's  mother,  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Eliza 
Matilda  Chardovoyne  de  Crevecoeur,  and  was  the  daughter  of  William  St. 
John  Chardovoyne,  who  was  a  son  of  Eli  Chardovoyne  de  Crevceoeur  and 
was  America's  first  minister  from  France. 

Charles  Pryer  was  principally  reared  upon  the  farm,  and  at  a  private 
school  in  New  York  city  he  prepared  for  college,  and  passed  a  college  course- 
under  private  tutors.  He  has  since  given  his  attention  mainly  to  the  opera- 
tion of  the  farm  and  to  his  literary  work,  contributing  to  different  magazines 
many  able  articles,  which  have  received  most  favorable  notice.  He  is  also 
the  author  of  a  work  entitled  Reminiscences  of  an  Old  Homestead,  Legends 
of  Westchester  county.  New  York;  the  Booklet  for  historic  New  York,  en- 
titled National  Ground;  and  a  history  of  American  yachting,  which  appeared 
in  the  Sporting  Encyclopedia.  His  works  have  all  been  most  favorably  com- 
mented upon  by  the  press  and  literary  critics  of  the  day. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1880,  Mr.  Pryer  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Julia  C.  Miller,  a  daughter  of  A.  B.  Miller,  of  New  Rochelle,  but  she  died  in 
October,  1884,  leaving  one  son,  Harold  C.  He  was  again  married  in  1888, 
his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Harmer,  daughter  of  John  H. 
Harmer,  and  to  them  has  been  born  a  daughter,  Alice  de  Crevecoeur. 

In  politics  Mr.  Pryer  is  conservative.  He  is  a  leader  in  social  circles, 
taking  quite  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  a  number  of  societies  and  clubs. 
He  is  a  director  of  the  Knickerbocker  Press,  in  which  he  has  filled  the  office. 
of  secretary;  was  commodore  of  the  New  Rochelle  Yacht  Club,  and  of  the 
Corinthian  fleet  for  three  terms;  is  a  member  of  the  Century  Club,  of  New 
York  city;  the  Atlantic  Yacht  Club;  Larchmont  Yacht  Club;  New  York  Yacht 
Club;  the  Wood  Club;  and  the  New  York  Historical  Society;  and  is  also  a 
fellow  of  the  American  Geographical  Society;  the  American  Numismatic  and 
Archaeological  Society;  and  the  Botanical  Garden  and  Zoological  Society,  of 
New  York  city.  He  has  a  fine  private  library  and  one  of  the  most  extensive 
collections  of  foreign  coins  in   the  state.      He   is  a   man   of  marked  ability^, 


574  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

forceful  character  and  distinctive  culture, — one  who  will  leave  his  impress 
upon  the  world, — and  the  community  is  certainly  fortunate  that  numbers  him 
among  its  citizens. 


GEORGE  T.  DAVIS. 


The  village  of  New  Rochelle,  in  which  Mr.  Davis  now  resides,  is  also 
the  place  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  December  12,  1843,  and  traces  his 
ancestry  back  to  an  old  and  prominent  family  of  New  England  that  was 
founded  in  America  in  1665  by  ancestors  who  came  from  Wales  and  located 
in  Derby,  Connecticut.  His  great-grandfather,  Colonel  John  Davis,  was 
born  in  Oxford,  Connecticut,  and  was  colonel  of  the  Connecticut  militia. 
The  grandfather,  Truman  Davis,  was  born  in  Oxford,  New  Haven  county, 
Connecticut,  in  1787,  and  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  but  in  his  later  life  he 
turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  loyally  served  his  country 
in  the  war  of  1812,  and  died  in  his  eighty-second  year.  His  wife  was  Mary 
Allen,  of  Woodbury,  New  Haven  county. 

Captain  Clark  Davis,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Naugatuck,  New  Haven  county,  Connecticut,  in  18 15.  Having  attained  his 
majority  he  wedded  Mary  Ann  Toffey,  a  native  of  the  town  of  New  Rochelle, 
Westchester  county.  She  died  in  1880,  leaving  four  children:  George  T. ; 
Mary  Esther,  wife  of  Homer  Riggs,  of  New  Rochelle;  Anna  Eliza,  wife  of 
Albert  Cornell;  and  Francis  H.,  superintendent  of  the  New  Rochelle  Water 
Company.  Captain  Davis  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  shipping  interests, 
owning  and  running  a  sloop  between  New  Rochelle  and  New  York  city,  but 
the  major  part  of  his  hfe  was  spent  on  his  farm.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
gressive men  of  the  county,  and  was  importuned  to  accept  office,  but  always 
refused  except  in  a  few  cases  of  local  preferment.  He  died  in  October, 
1898. 

The  boyhood  days  of  George  T.  Davis  were  passed  in  his  native  town 
and  there  he  acquired  his  literary  education.  He  entered  upon  his  life  career 
as  a  farmer.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  Twenty- second  New  York  Militia, 
Colonel  Monroe  commanding,  and  was  sent  to  Baltimore,  Maryland,  later  to 
Harper's  Ferry.  In  1863  he  took  part  in  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  being  in 
action  at  Hampton  or  Sporting  Hill  and  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania. 

After  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  Mr.  Davis  returned  to  the  farm. 
In  1864  he  entered  an  undertaking  establishment  and  became  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  business  in  its  various  departments.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  an  undertaking  business  until  1871,  when  he  opened  his  present 
establishment,  and  has  since  worked  up  a  very  large  trade,  having  a  splen- 
didly equipped  establishment,  fine  horses  and  excellent  teams.      His  store  is 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  575 

located  on  Huguenot  street,  and  his  reliability  and  honorable  dealing  have 
secured  to  him  a  good  patronage. 

In  1869  Mr.  Davis  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Henrietta  Palmer,  of 
New  Rochelle,  daughter  of  John  Palmer,  and  they  are  now  parents  of  three 
children, — two  sons  and  a  daughter:  George  M.,  who  is  associated  with  his 
father  in  business;  and  Harry  F.  and  Edith  M.,  at  home.  The  family  occu- 
pies a  leading  position  in  social  circles  and  the  members  of  the  household 
enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  of  New  Rochelle,  where  intelligence 
and  true  worth  are  taken  as  the  passports  into  good  society. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Davis  is  an  earnest  Republican  and  always 
keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  His  fellow  townsmen,  appre- 
ciating his  worth  and  ability,  have  called  him  to  public  office  and  he  has 
served  as  trustee  of  the  village  one  term  and  village  clerk  for  five  years.  He 
is  a  member  of  Huguenot  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Flandreau  Post,  No.  509, 
G.  A.  R.,  Old  Guard  of  New  York  city.  In  1898  he  made  strenuous  efforts 
to  enlist  in  the  military  service  of  this  country  against  Spain,  but  his  advanced 
age  prevented  his  acceptance  as  a  private,  and  radical  changes  in  military 
tactics  since  the  civil  war  prevented  his  taking  a  command.  He  started  to 
raise  a  company,  but  the  government  refused  to  accept  raw  recruits.  He 
always  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  things  pertaining  to  military  affairs.  He 
is  treasurer  of  the  New  Rochelle  Building  &  Loan  Association  and  is  a  man 
of  pronounced  business  ability  who  carries  forward  to  successful  completion 
whatever  he  undertakes.  For  twenty-seven  years  he  has  been  connected 
with  the  fire  department  of  New  Rochelle,  and  probably  has  done  more  than 
any  other  one  man  in  perfecting  the  fire-alarm  system.  He  was  for  a  time  fore- 
man of  the  Hook  &  Ladder  Company  and  of  the  Huguenot  Engine  Company, 
and  for  one  year  was  chief  engineer  of  the  department.  He  is  a  public-spir- 
ited and  progressive  citizen  who  gives  a  loyal  support  to  all  measures  for  the 
public  good.  His  life  is  one  co'mmanding  the  highest  regard,  for  his  fidelity 
to  duty  and  honesty  in  business  and  his  faithfulness  to  his  friends  have  .won 
him  unqualified  confidence  and  good  will. 


M.  FOLEY. 


The  proprietor  of  the  Pocantico  Hills  Hotel,  of  Pocantico  Hills,  New 
York,  is  a  prominent  hotel  man  of  Westchester  county,  having  been  in  busi- 
ness at  his  present  place  since  1891.  The  house  is  a  well  arranged  hotel 
containing  sixteen  rooms,  and  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  lawn 
covered  with  shade  and  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs  and  flowers,  making  a 
very  picturesque  scene.  It  stands  opposite  the  depot,  has  a  good  bar,  and 
has  become  headquarters  for  politicians,  commercial  travelers,  tourists  and 


576  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

others  stopping  at  Pocantico  Hills  on  business  or  pleasure  bent.  The  land- 
lord, Mr.  Foley,  is  a  man  in  the  prime  of  life,  of  pleasing  personality,  frank, 
genial  and  accommodating  in  manner,  is  well  informed  on  subjects  of  general 
interest,  and  the  guest  or  traveler  that  tarries  at  his  fireside  is  loath  to  leave 
the  place.  He  has  had  many  years'  experience  in  the  hotel  business,  and  it 
is  therefore  not  surprising  that  he  is  so  successfully  conducting  his  present 
house. 

Like  many  of  the  hotel  men  of  New  York,  Mr.  Foley  is  a  native  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  born  in  1848,  of  worthy  parents,  and  there  he  was  reared  and 
educated  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  America,  stopping  first 
in  New  York  city.  From  there  he  came  to  Tarrytown,  Westchester  county, 
and  later  was  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  Yonkers,  this  state,  and  in 
1 89 1  came  to  Pocantico  Hills.  He  was  married  at  Yonkers  to  Miss  Honora 
McCarthy,  who  has  been  a  true  helpmeet  to  him,  and  nine  children  bless 
their  union:  Hannah,  Katty,  Joseph,  Mary,  Jennie,  Nellie,  John,  Tillie  and 
Honora. 

Mr.  Foley  exercises  considerable  influence  in  political  affairs  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  same,  but  votes  independently,  supporting  the  man 
whom  he  believes  best  qualified  to  fill  the  office,  regardless  of  party  affilia- 
tions. For  himself  he  cares  nothing  for  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public 
office,  preferring  to  give  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests. 


WILLIS  S.  PAINE. 


Willis  S.  Paine  was  born  in  Rochester,  New  York,  on  the  ist  of  Janu- 
ary, 1848.  His  father,  Nicholas  E.  Paine,  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  after  attending  Phillips  Exeter  Academy  was  admitted  to  the- 
bar  upon  attaining  his  majority.  Shortly  afterward  he  removed  to  the  state 
of  Maine,  and  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  staff  of  Governor  Fairchild, 
with  the  rank  of  colonel.  He  married,  at  South  Berwick,  Maine,  Abby  M. 
Sprague,  who  was  a  descendant  of  the  ante-colonial  Governors,  Bradford  and 
Prance,  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  His  brother,  Robert  Treat  Paine,  was  for 
many  years  one  of  the  shining  lights  of  the  Boston  bar.  After  marriage 
Colonel  Paine  removed  to  the  city  of  Rochester,  New  York,  where  he  was 
elected  district  attorney  of  Monroe  county.  He  subsequently  held  the  offices 
of  mayor  and  president  of  the  board  of  education  of  that  city.  Twenty-five 
years  ago  Colonel  Paine  bought  the  McKeel  farm  and  a  part  of  the  Underbill 
farm  at  Yorktown  and  laid  out  a  town  site,  which  with  the  advent  of  the  rail- 
road became  the  locality  now  known  as  Yorktown  Heights. 

In  1885  Nicholas  E.  Paine  and  his  wife  Abby  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding  in  true  New  England  style,  surrounded  by  their  children,  relatives 


CXaa^OL/ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  577 

of  the  family  and  cherished  friends.  In  1887  he  departed  this  life,  holding 
at  the  time  of  his  death  the  presidency  of  the  Dakota  Railroad  Company. 
He  left  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Wallace  Darrow,  and  two  sons.  The  elder  son  was 
Oakman  S.  Paine,  M.  D.,  who  served  through  the  civil  war  with  conspicuous 
gallantry  and  fidelity  and  was  brevetted  lieutenant-colonel  and  colonel  for 
meritorious  services.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  November  8,  1891,  he  was 
the  surgeon  in  chief  of  St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

A  biography  of  Mr.  Darrow  and  children  appears  on  the  following  pages. 

The  younger  son,  Willis  S.  Paine,  entered  the  Rochester  Collegiate 
Institute  in  the  year  1862.  When  he  graduated  at  this  institution  he  was 
chosen  valedictorian  of  his  class.  He  continued  his  studies  at  the  Rochester 
University,  graduating  with  honor  in  the  class  of  1868.  Before  receiving  his 
college  diploma  he  became  a  law  student  in  the  office  of  Sanford  E.  Church, 
afterward  chief  judge  of  the  court  of  appeals.  In  1868  his  father  removed 
to  New  York  city,  and  our  young  law  student  continued  his  studies  in  the 
the  offices  of  the  late  Charles  A.  Rapallo,  also  one  of  the  judges  of  the  court 
of  appeals.  In  the  spring  of  1869  Mr.  Paine  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
for  some  time  practiced  his  profession  in  the  office  of  Judge  Rapallo. 

But  another  and  very  important  field  was  soon  to  be  opened  to  Mr. 
Paine,  into  which  he  was  well  qualified  to  enter  and  where  he  has  won  his 
highest  laurels.  In  1874,  when  the  legislature  passed  a  law  authorizing  the 
bank  superintendent  to  cause  an  annual  examination  to  be  made  of  the  trust 
companies  of  the  state,  Mr.  Paine  was  appointed  by  the  superintendent  as 
one  of  the  three  examiners.  It  was  a  work  in  which  from  the  first  he  took 
the  deepest  interest  and  showed  the  most  careful  and  thorough  research. 
The  examination  soon  resulted  in  the  closing  of  three  trust  companies  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  which  owed  depositors  six  million  dollars.  These  deposi- 
tors were  subsequently  paid  in  full,  and  the  public  press  praised  Mr.  Paine 
for  the  successful  accomplishment  of  this  result.  He  also  made  the  exami- 
nations of  the  same  corporations  the  succeeding  year. 

In  1876  the  doors  of  the  Bond  Street  Savings  Bank,  one  of  the  largest 
institutions  of  the  kind  in  this  country,  were  closed  by  order  of  the  court. 
Mr.  Paine's  success  as  a  lawyer  and  bank  examiner  was  such  that  on  the 
recommendation  of  the  attorney-general  and  the  bank  superintendent  he  was 
appointed  by  Judge  Landon,  at  Schenectady,  as  receiver  of  the  insolvent 
concern. 

Upon  assuming  the  duties  of  the  trust  he  began  an  investigation  of  the 

transactions  of  the  bank  from  its  beginning,  and  then  decided  to  bring  suits 

against  the  trustees  for  losses  incurred  for  certain  acts  which,  while  not  made 

with  wrongful  intent,  were  unauthorized  by  law.     These  suits  were  novel  in 

their  character  and  were  stoutly  defended,  but  the  result  justified  his  theory,. 
37 


578  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

inasmuch  as  the  trustees  paid  him  in  settlement  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and 
thirteen  thousand,  five  hundred  dollars.  The  court  recognized  the  services  of 
Mr.  Paine  in  that  long  and  tedious  warfare,  in  which  so  many  nice  legal  points 
were  involved,  by  stating  "  that  the  duties  of  this  trust  have  been  administered 
■by  the  receiver  with  rare  diligence,  fidelity  and  discretion. "  At  the  time  of  the 
'failure  of  the  bank  a  meeting  of  the  depositors  was  held,  and  a  committee 
of  their  number  was  appointed  to  look  after  their  interests.  Before  the  pay- 
ment of  the  final  dividend  this  committee  met  and  passed  a  series  of  exceed- 
ingly laudatory  resolutions  referring  to  the  manner  in  which  the  receivership 
had  been  conducted,  and  had  the  same  engrossed  and  presented  to  Mr.  Paine. 
So  far  as  known  this  is  the  only  instance  of  the  kind  in  the  history  of  these 
insolvent  institutions  —  oftentimes  quite  the  opposite  feeling  existing  on  the 
■part  of  the  creditors  of  such  institutions  toward  the  receivers. 

Mr.  Paine  succeeded  at  the  close  of  his  receivership  in  paying  the  gen- 
>eral  creditors  eighty-six  and  five-eighths  per  cent.,  while  the  preferred  cred- 
iitors  were   paid   in   full.     The  whole   sum   received    and    disbursed   in  the 
"Winding  up  of  the  affairs  of  the  bank  was  nearly  thirteen  hundred  thousand 
dollars.     No  other  receivership  of  the  twenty-three  savings  banks  that  failed 
in  New  York  city   and   vicinity   during   1873   and   subsequent  years   paid   so 
large  a  percentage:  several  paid  less  than  twenty  per  cent.     Upon  his  peti- 
tion his  accounts  were  examined  by  referees  or  by  attorney-general  deputies 
«ight  times,   and  each  time  the  report  presented  to  the  court  was  of  an 
encomiastic  character,  and  in  the  order  of  closing  the  receivership  Mr.  Paine 
received  "  the  thanks  of  the  court  for  the  faithful  manner  in  which  the  duties 
of  the  trust  have  been  discharged. " 

In  1880  the  legislature  passed  an  act  providing  for  the  appointment  of 
commissioners  to  make  a  compilation  and  revision  of  the  laws  of  the  state 
••affecting  banks  and  banking.  William  Dowd,  the  president  of  the  Bank  of 
North  America,  and  Mr.  Paine,  having  been  appointed  by  Governor  Cornell 
under  this  act,  submitted  a  revision  to  the  legislature  in  1882,  which  was 
then  adopted.  The  legislature  of  the  following  year  gave  a  vote  of  thanks 
to  Messrs.  Paine  and  Dowd  for  their  services.  This  was  the  first  vote  of 
thanks  given  by  that  body  since  the  civil  war.  Both  of  the  commissioners 
served  without  the  slightest  pay,  and  expended  less  than  one-half  of  the  sum 
appropriated  by  the  legislature  for  their  expenses;  the  balance  now  remains 
to  their  credit  in  the  state  treasury. 

Governor  Cleveland,  in  April,  1883,  nominated  Mr.  Paine  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  banking  department  of  this  state.  The  nomination  was  unani- 
mously and  immediately  confirmed  by  the  senate.  No  office  of  its  kind  in 
the  United  States  has  more  varied  responsibility  than  that  of  the  position  of 
hank  superintendent  of  the  state  of  New  York.    The  comptroller  of  the  cur- 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  579 

rency  has  the  supervision  of  banks  of  deposit  and  discount  only,  while  the 
former  has,  in  addition  to  these,  savings  institutions,  trust,  mortgage  and 
safe  deposit  companies,  building  and  accumulating  fund  associations,  the  total 
resources  of  which  aggregate  over  a  thousand  millions  of  dollars. 

In  the  discharge  of  the  duties  pertaining  to  the  office  of  superintendent 
of  the  banking  department,  Mr.  Paine  displayed  a  most  creditable  executive 
ability.  His  clear  conception  of  what  should  constitute  the  practical  work- 
ings of  a  correct  system  in  the  management  of  banks  and  other  state  moneyed 
institutions,  and  his  skill  and  persistence  in  enforcing  these  rules  and  regu- 
lations caused  his  name  to  become  a  high  authority  through  the  country  in 
this  department. 

As  a  writer  Mr.  Paine  has  contributed  much  useful  information,  tending 
to  elucidate  his  favorite  studies  and  investigations.  His  large  work  on 
"  Banks,  Banking  and  Trust  Companies,"  the  preparation  of  which  was  a 
difficult  task,  involving  very  arduous  labor,  is  written  in  a  masterly  style — 
lucid  in  arrangement  and  thoroughly  exhaustive  of  its  subject — and  is  recog- 
nized as  the  standard  work  in  New  York  financial  institutions  of  every  char- 
acter. It  has  been  commended  by  the  press  in  high  terms,  especially  the 
action  of  the  author  in  doing  the  work  without  the  smallest  pecuniary  com- 
pensation, directly  or  indirectly.  The  propriety  of  this  action,  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  he  was,  when  the  book  was  published,  at  the  head  of  the  bank- 
ing department  of  the  state,  while  manifest,  indicates  nevertheless  a  delicacy 
not  always  found  in  public  officials.  The  New  York  Times,  in  reviewing  the 
book,  says  that  "it  covers  the  ground  so  completely  as  to  be  a  hbrary  of 
reference.  Everything  bearing  on  the  subjects  treated,  however  remotely, 
is  incorporated,  and  the  banker  needs  no  other  work  of  reference  to  acquaint 
him  with  the  requirements,  the  obligations,  and  the  legal  limitations  of  his 
business.  The  historical  portion  of  the  work  is  well  worthy  of  study,  show- 
ing, as  it  does,  the  reasons  drawn  from  experience  for  the  conduct  of  banking 
and  other  moneyed  institutions.  In  making  this  compilation  of  the  laws, 
and  in  explaining  the  causes  that  procured  their  enactment,  Mr.  Paine  has 
subserved  a  good  purpose.  His  work  has  been  carefully  and  conscientiously 
done,  and  it  cannot  but  be  of  great  service. "  A  fourth  edition  of  this  work 
has  been  issued  by  Baker,  Voorhis  &  Company.  A  treatise  on  the  law  regu- 
lating building  associations  has  also  been  written  by  Mr.  Paine,  and  is  pub- 
lished by  L.  K.  Strouse  &  Company. 

Mr.  Paine  has  also  written  largely  for  legal  and  financial  magazines,  and 
all  his  literary  efforts  bear  the  mark  of  a  scholarly  hand. 

In  April,  1885,  President  Cleveland  offered  Mr.  Paine  the  position  of 
sub-treasurer  in  the  city  of  New  York.  This  officer  is  the  custodian  of  over 
one  hundred  and  eighty  millions  of  dollars,  and  the  action  of  the  president 


580  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

may  be  regarded  as  an  unusually  high  compliment.  In  June,  1896,  at  its- 
annual  commencement,  Manhattan  College  conferred  upon  him  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

On  the  sth  of  April,  1888,  Mr.  Paine  married  Miss  Ruby  S.  Tilden,  the 
daughter  of  the  late  Henry  A.  Tilden,  of  New  Lebanon  Springs,  and  a 
niece  of  ex-Governor  Samuel  J.  Tilden.  She  departed  this  life  December 
20,  1896. 

He  was  an  early  member  oi  the  Bar  Association  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  and  has  served  upon  some  of  its  most  prominent  committees.  He 
was  largely  instrumental  in  having  the  legislature,  in  connection  with  the 
transfers  of  titles  to  real  estate  in  the  city  of  New  York,  adopt  the  "  block 
system;'/  and  the  general  law  providing  for  the  incorporation  and  regulation 
of  trust  companies  is  wholly  his  work.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Tuxedo, 
Commonwealth,  Metropolitan,  the  National  Arts  and  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Clubs 
of  New  York,  and  is  the  president  of  the  Theta  Delta  Chi  Graduate  Asso- 
ciation. 

During  the  month  of  November,  of  the  year  1889,  Mr.  Paine  resigned 
the  bank  superintendency,  having  held  the  office  nearly  twice  as  long  as  any 
of  his  predecessors,  to  accept  the  position  of  president  of  the  State  Trust 
Company,  a  corporation  which  had  been  organized  with  a  capital  of  one 
million  dollars  and  with  a  surplus  of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  This 
corporation  has  been  remarkably  successful. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1892,  he  resigned  the  presidency  of  the  State 
Trust  Company  for  the  purpose  of  taking  a  trip  around  the  world.  He  sailed 
during  that  month  for  Europe,  and  remained  abroad  about  a  year  and  a  half. 
Upon  his  return  he  was  tendered,  by  Governor  Flower,  the  position  of  colo- 
nel upon  the  latter's  staff,  which  was  accepted  by  Mr.  Paine.  Colonel 
Paine  subsequently  became  the  first  president  of  the  Merchants  Safe  Deposit 
Company,  in  New  York  city,  which  position  he  still  holds.  He  is  a  director 
in  the  American  Surety  Company,  Metropolitan  Savings  Bank,  State  Trust 
Company  and  other  corporations. 


WALLACE  DARROW. 


Wallace  Darrow  was  born  June  10,  1827,  at  Plymouth,  Connecticut. 
When  a  young  man  he  moved  to  Rochester,  New  York,  and  with  his 
brother  established  a  large  book  and  publishing  business.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council  of  Rochester,  and  first  lieutenant  of  a  local  battery  of 
the  National  Guard,  and  served  as  such  when  this  organization  was  mustered 
into  the  United  States  service  during  the  Civil  war.  He  was  married  Octo- 
ber 10,  1856,  to  Ellen  L.  Paine,  daughter  of  Colonel   Nicholas  E.   Paine.. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  581 

Three  children  were  born  as  the  result  of  this  union, — Walter  Nicholas  Paine 
Darrow,  Ethel  Abby  Darrow  and  Lillian  Sprague  Darrow.  About  1870 
Wallace  Darrow  moved  to  New  York  with  his  family  and  engaged  in  the  sur- 
gical-instrument business  for  about  fifteen  years,  when  he  disposed  of  his 
interest  and  moved  to  Yorktown  in  Westchester  county,  where  he  has  since 
resided,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  connected  with  the  Putnam  branch 
of  the  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad.  His  grandfather  was 
Titus  Darrow,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution  and  war  of  1812  from  Connecticut, 
and  his  great-grandfather  was  Elisha  Blackman,  who  also  did  considerable 
fighting  in  the  Revolution  and  during  the  colonial  wars  previous. 

Walter  N.  P.  Darrow  was  born  in  Rochester,  New  York,  February  18, 
1863.  He  entered  the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York  in  1879,  and  left 
during  his  junior  year  to  enter  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point.  He  was  appointed  by  Waldo  Hutchins,  who  was  at  that  time  the 
member  of  congress  from  Westchester  county.  He  graduated  in  1886  with 
a  class  standing  of  twelve  in  the  largest  class  that  was  ever  graduated  at  that 
institution.  He  was  appointed  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth  United 
States  Artillery  and  served  at  several  posts  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  being  two 
years  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Virginia,  where  he  graduated  at  the  United  States 
Artillery  School  for  officers.  He  resigned  his  commission  October  26,  1891, 
to  engage  in  business  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He 
was  married  September  23,  1890,  to  Miss  Mary  Neil,  daughter  of  William  A. 
Neil  of  Columbus,  Ohio.  Since  leaving  the  regular  service  he  has  served  in 
the  National  Guard  of  Ohio  as  captain  of  a  light  battery,  lieutenant-colonel 
of  the  Fourteenth  Infantry,  and  as  colonel  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Light 
Artillery.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Society  of  the  War  of  18 12,  Sons  of  the 
American  Revolution  and  the  Loyal  Legion. 

Ethel  Abby  Darrow  was  born  in  New  York  city  June  4,  1871,  and  died 
there  February  i,   1875. 

Lillian  Sprague  Darrow  was  born  at  Yorktown  November  8,  1876.  She 
was  educated  at  Drew  Seminary,  Carmel,  New  York,  and  was  married 
November  4,  1897,  to  William  Fields  Beal,  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  where 
she  has  since  resided.  They  have  one  child,  a  son,  James  Hamilton  Beal, 
born  February  4,  1899. 


MICHAEL  H.  WHITE. 


The  proprietor  of  Echo  Farm  is  the  popular,  genial  and  obliging  col- 
lector for  Harrison  township,  Westchester  county.  Though  Mr.  White  is 
one  of  the  youngest  of  the  county  officials,  none  are  more  thorough,  prompt 
and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  their  manifold  duties,  and  he  is  second  to  none 


582  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

in  his  desire  to  see  the  best  interests  of  his  fellow  citizens  maintained.  He  is 
now  serving  his  second  term  in  this  position,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  he 
is  meeting  the  requirements  of  the  office  with  credit  to  himself  and  friends, 
for  this  is  a  fact  generally  known. 

Mr.  White  comes  from  a  good  old  Irish  family  who  have  been  noted  for 
patriotism  to  native  and  adopted  countries.  His  father,  Thomas  White,  was 
born  in  the  beautiful  Emerald  Isle,  in  the  city  of  Dublin,  within  the  same 
year  in  which  Queen  Victoria's  useful  and  eventful  life  began.  Mr.  White 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  land,  and  when  the  dreadful  famine  of  1849 
came  on  he  decided  to  come  to  America  to  make  a  home  for  himself  and  fam- 
ily. He  was  a  poor  man,  and  at  first,  as  he  had  no  friends  nor  influence,  in 
the  United  States,  he  took  whatever  employment  came  to  hand,  whereby  he 
might  earn  his  honest  daily  bread.  His  first  wages  were  but  four  dollars  a 
month  and  his  board,  but  he  soon  was  better  paid  and  he  persevered  until 
he  became,  in  time,  prosperous,  as  he  certainly  deserved  to  be.  He  bought 
a  farm  in  this  county  and  is  still  living  here,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
His  wife,  whom  he  married  in  Ireland,  was  likewise  a  native  of  Dublin. 
She  has  been  a  loyal  helpmate  and  is  still  living  to  share  her  husband's  joys 
and  sorrows.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely:  Thomas,  of 
Rye  township;  Jennie,  who  died  in  1882;  Katie,  wife  of  Thomas  Knisley; 
Julia,  wife  of  J.  E.  Johnson,  of  New  York  city;  Michael,  subject  of  this  sketch; 
and  John,  of  Rye  township. 

The  birth  of  Michael  H.  White  took  place  in  Westchester  county,  Jan- 
uary 10,  1866.  The  farm  which  he  cultivates  is  a  valuable  one,  comprising 
forty  acres  of  land  situated  three  miles  from  Port  Chester.  The  land  is 
especially  suitable  for  dairying,  and,  as  the  adjacent  city  markets  furnish 
good  points  for  shipment  of  all  dairy  products,  Mr.  White  decided  a  few 
years  ago  to  embark  in  the  business.  This  move  on  his  part  was  a  fortunate 
one  for  him  and  he  has  reaped  a  goodly  harvest  of  golden  shekels  each  year 
since  he  embarked  in  the  enterprise.  He  leases  other  farms  and  keeps  a 
large  number  of  high-grade  cows.  Though  he  started  business  on  a  small 
scale  he  has  gradually  increased  it  and  is  constantly  branching  out,  with  a 
view  to  greater  things  in  the  future.  All  of  the  products  of  the  Echo  Farm 
Dairy  find  a  ready  sale,  the  name  being  a  guaranty  of  purity  and  excellence 
of  material  and  preparation.  At  the  present  time  Mr.  White  owns  twenty- 
six  cows,  and,  had  he  twice  the  number,  could  easily  find  customers  for  all 
the  milk,  butter  and  cream  he  placed  on  sale. 

Since  he  became  a  voter  Mr.  White  has  been  an  earnest  adherent  to  the 
platform  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  done  effective  work  in  its  behalf. 
He  takes  great  interest  in  educational  matters  and  in  the  condition  of  the 
roads  and,  in  short,  in  all  things  which  materially  affect  the  comfort  and 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  583 

convenience  of  the  public  at  large  in  this  county.  He  received  a  good  edu- 
cation and  is  thoroughly  posted  in  current  events  and  the  general  news  of 
the  day.  He  takes  the  leading  newspapers  and  in  general  information  aims 
to  keep  abreast  of  the  times.  His  many  sterling  qualities  of  character  have 
brought  to  him  the  friendship  and  genuine  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
had  business  or  social  relations. 


C.  E.  KENE. 


In  the  learned  professions  naught  availeth  but  individual  merit.  Strong 
mentality,  close  application,  comprehensive  and  accurate  knowledge  and 
ability  to  apply  the  principles  of  law  to  the  points  in  litigation,  are  the  essen- 
tial qualifications  of  the  successful  attorney  and  counselor  at  law.  The  pos- 
session of  these  attributes  has  made  Cornelius  E.  Kene  one  of  the  leading 
practitioners  of  Westchester  county  and  New  York  city. 

Born  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn  in  the  year  1852,  he  is  a  son  of  John  R. 
and  Ellen  Jane  (Newnan)  Kene.  During  his  early  childhood  his  parents 
removed  to  Westchester  county,  locating  in  Tuckahoe,  town  of  East  Chester, 
where  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  until  1867.  He  afterward 
studied  in  a  private  preparatory  school  in  New  York  city,  and  subsequently  con- 
tinued his  education  in  Baltimore  and  in  Ilchester,  Maryland,  entering  the  law 
department  of  Columbia  College  in  1871.  In  May,  1873,  he  was  graduated 
in  that  institution,  and  in  December  of  the  same  year  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  He  continued  his  studies  for  four  years  with  the  very  prominent  law 
firrh  of  Close  &  Robertson,  of  White  Plains,  Westchester  county,  and  spent 
the  winters  of  1876  and  1877  in  the  state  legislature  with  Senator  Robertson, 
as  clerk  of  the  senate  judiciary  committee,  at  Albany,  and  as  assistant  to 
Hon.  Montgomery  H.  Throop,  who  was  engaged  in  the  work  of  preparing 
the  laws  of  New  York,  being  chairman  of  the  commission  on  the  revision  of 
the  statutes  creating  the  code  of  civil  procedure.  All  this  tended  to  give  Mr. 
Kene  a  very  broad  and  thorough  understanding  of  jurisprudence,  and  thus 
with  an  exceptionally  thorough  preparation  he  entered  upon  private  practice. 
'  In  1877  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Banks,  Keogh  &  Kene,  with 
offices  in  New  Rochelle  and  Portchester,  New  York.  Since  January  1879,  he 
has  practiced  alone,  and  has  an  extensive  and  distinctively  representative  clien- 
tage. He  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Westchester 
bar  when  in  1885  he  opened  an  office  in  New  York  city.  There  he  soon  came 
into  prominence,  for  his  marked  ability  won  recognition  in  the  favorable 
opinions  of  the  court  in  many  litigated  interests  which  he  had  in  charge.  He 
has  been  counsel  in  a  large  number  of  important  suits  involving  large  amounts 
arid    most   intricate   legal    questions.      In   Westchester   county  he  has   been 


584  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

elected  police  justice,  civil  justice  and  corporation  counsel  of  New  Rochelle, 
where  he  retains  his  residence.  He  has  in  an  eminent  degree  that  rare  abil- 
ity of  saying  in  a  convincing  way  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time.  With  a 
knowledge  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  law,  he  combines  a  familiarity 
with  statutory  law  which  makes  him  a  formidable  adversary  in  legal  combat 
and  has -gained  him  marked  distinction. 

In  June,  1887,  Mr.  Kenewas  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  C.  Ehr- 
hart,  of  New  York  city,  and  they  have  two  children, — Cornelius  E.  and  Ju- 
han.  Theirs  is  a  beautiful  home,  located  on  Mayflower  avenue,  in  Huguenot 
Park,  on  an  elevated  site  which  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding 
country  from  Long  Island  Sound  to  the  Palisades.  The  Kene  household  is 
the  center  of  a  cultured  society  circle.  Mr.  Kene  is  a  man  of  studious  habits 
and  scholarly  tastes.  He  speaks  several  modern  languages,  has  a  broad 
acquaintance  with  the  classics  and  is  the  author  of  poetical  and  prose  pro- 
ductions. Master  of  the  art  of  rhetoric,  at  once  entertaining,  logical  and 
convincing,  he  is  popular  with  his  audiences  and  has  delivered  a  number  of 
interesting  addresses. 


E.    FRANK  HART. 


E.  Frank  Hart  is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  White  Plains,  West- 
chester county,  and  was  born  on  the  old  family  homestead  in  the  town  of 
Greenburg,  September  27,  1847.  While  the  origin  of  the  family  in  America 
is  not  definitely  known,  the  representatives  of  the  name  are  probably 
descended  from  Edward  Hart,  who,  history  tells  us,  was  a  selectman  of 
Flushing,  Long  Island,  and  reared  a  large  family.  He  was  imprisoned  in 
1657  because  he  would  not  expose  the  Quakers  and  deliver  them  to  the 
Dutch  governor.  Captain  Jonathan  Hart,  one  of  the  direct  ancestors  of  our 
subject,  was  a  mariner.  He  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  John  Budd,  who 
was  a  resident  of  Long  Island  prior  to  1664.  Captain  Hart  settled  at  Budd 
Neck  in  1685,  and  was  a  townsman  of  Rye  in  1686.  His  son  Monmouth 
married  Sarah  Ogden,  resided  at  Rye  Neck,  purchased  land  in  White  Plains 
in  1712,  and  died  in  1759  or  1761.  He  had  three  sons,  Monmouth,  James 
and  Joseph.  The  eldest  died  in  1786.  By  his  wife,  Rachel  Hart,  he  had 
the  following  children:  Abraham,  Hannah,  Mary  Ann,  Rachel,  Robert, 
James  and  Jonathan.  James  Hart,  the  second  son  of  Monmouth  and  Sarah 
Hart,  died  in  1781,  leaving  three  sons,  James,  Elisha  and  Jacob.  The  third 
son,  Joseph,  is  said  to  have  met  death  by  drowning.  He  was  given  land  by 
his  father,  who  had  purchased  it  of  T.  Merritt  in  1740,  and  which  had  been 
proved  by  will  in  1761.  His  children  were  Eleizar,  of  Long  Island;  Mon- 
mouth and  John,  of  Greenburg;  Joseph,  who  resided  at  the  Leggett  place; 


6"  cAi^Afk^  TiQayJ^ 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  585 

Josephua  T.,  who  made  his  home  at  the  Horton  place;  Isaac;  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Hatfield:  Mrs.  Sarah  Purdy;  Mrs.  Deborah  Merritt;  and  Mrs.  Tamer 
Horton. 

John  Hart,  the  son  of  Joseph,  owned  what  was  afterward  called  the 
Allen  Mead  place,  in  Greenburg,  and  his  children  were  Stephen,  Isaac, 
William,  Sarah,  Eleizar,  Andrew,  Hannah  and  Patterson,  and  of  this  family, 
Eleizar  married  Rhoda  Tompkins,  and  their  children  are  Elisha,  Asbury  and 
John  Hunter,  the  last  named  a  resident  of  Hartsdale. 

Monmouth  Hart,  born  in  1752,  was  the  great-grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject. He  was  married  in  1778  to  Mary  Gedney  and  resided  at  Hartsdale. 
Their  children  were  Elizabeth,  John,  Cynthia,  Elijah,  Deborah,  Joseph, 
Peter  and  Monmouth.  The  last  named  married  Julia  Ann  Tompkins,  and 
of  their  children,  Joseph  resides  in  the  west,  and  Thomas  and  Lemuel  reside 
at  Hartsdale.  John,  a  son  of  Monmouth  and  Mary  (Gedney)  Hart,  and  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  1781,  and  about  1805  married  Phebe 
Fisher,  by  whom  he  had  the  iollowing  children:  Phebe,  Dorathea,  Maria, 
Elijah  Gedney,  Elizabeth  and  Abigail  Jane. 

Elijah  Gedney  Hart,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Hartsdale,  Westchester  county,  in  1817,  and  died  in  1885.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent and  successful  farmer  and  general  business  man,  and  was  highly 
esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him.  In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Democrat,  and 
in  religious  belief  was  a  Presbyterian,  contributing  liberally  to  the  support  of 
the  church.  In  1840  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hanna  Downing, 
who  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1821,  and  died  in  Westchester 
county  in  1888.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Jordan  and  Elizabeth  (Lord)  Down- 
ing, and  when  a  small  child  came  with  her  parents  to  the  town  of  Greenburg. 
Her  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  Rural  cemetery  at  White  Plains.  To 
Gedney  and  Hannah  Hart  were  born  five  children:  John  Jay,  born  Novem- 
ber 20,  1841,  was  married  in  1866,  in  Salem,  Nebraska,  to  Alvirdia  Kinniison, 
and  now  resides  in  Warsaw,  Missouri;  Josephine,  born  March  20,  1844,  mar- 
ried Jacob  C.  Horton,  and  died  September  9,  1869,  leaving  two  children, 
Cornelius  J.  and  Jennie  E. ;  Elias  Franklyn  is  the  subject  of  this  record; 
Monmouth  G. ,  born  December  3,  1850,  was  a  prominent  attorney  and  died 
December  7,  1895;  and  Elizabeth,  born  July  18,  1855,  is  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Gibson,  who  resides  in  North  street.  White  Plains,  and  they  have  five  chil- 
dren, Alice,  Ellen,  James,  Frank  Hart  and  Fannie. 

When  a  child  E.  Frank  Hart  attended  the  district  schools  and  later 
became  a  student  in  the  White  Plains  Academy.  The  three  yeairs  imme- 
diately following  his  school  days  were  spent  in  Nebraska.  Returning  to  his. 
native  county,  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1879  purchased  the  Cornelius 
Horton  farm,  containing  sixty-three  acres,  which  is  a  part  of  the  old  Horton 


586  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

homestead.  He  now  has  a  well  improved  place  upon  which  are  three  good' 
barns,  a  number  of  other  substantial  outbuildings  and  sheds  and  a  handsome 
residence  of  modern  architecture.  Everything  about  the  place  is  character- 
ized by  neatness  and  thrift  and  indicates  the  careful  supervision  of  a  pro- 
gressive and  practical  farmer. 

In  1875,  Mr.  Hart  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Amelia  McCord,  a 
daughter  of  Albert  and  Adelia  McCord.  She  died  nine  years  later,  leaving  a 
daughter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years.  In  1886  Mr.  Hart  led  to  the 
marriage  altar  Miss  Sarah  Shute,  a  daughter  of  James  L.  and  Mary  (Fowler) 
Shute,  of  White  Plains.  She  is  a  member  of  and  earnest  worker  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  is  a  most  estimable  lady.  Mr.  Hart  is  a  com- 
municant of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  of  White  Plains,  and  is  serving  on 
its  board  of  trustees.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a  Democrat  and  takes 
an  intelligent  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  party.  He  is  ever  ready  to  advance 
any  movement  or  measure  for  the  betterment  of  the  community,  and  is  a  val- 
ued citizen  of  White  Plains. 


MONMOUTH  G.   HART. 


The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  the  third  son  of  Gedney  and  Hannah 
(Downing)  Hart,  and  was  born  December  3,  1850,  in  the  town  of  Greenburg, 
in  a  house  now  standing  on  Chatterton  Hill  road.  During  his  boyhood  his 
parents  removed  to  a  farm  on  Central  avenue,  and  there  he  spent  the  greater 
part  of  his  life.  He  pursued  his  education  in  the  old  brick  school-house, 
which  is  still  standing,  on  the  road  between  White  Plains  and  Elmsford,  and 
also  spent  one  term  in  Professor  Moody's  select  school,  at  White  Plains.  At 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  put  aside  his  text-books,  and  entered  upon  an  inde- 
pendent business  career  by  accepting  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  dry-goods 
store  of  E.  B.  Taylor,  on  Main  street,  Yonkers,  where  he  remained  for  two 
years,  when,  on  account  of  failing  health,  he  returned  to  the  farm.  He  was 
too  ambitious  to  remain  there  for  any  great  length  of  time,  however,  and 
after  a  year  he  began  studying  law  in  the  office  of  Charles  S.  Purdy,  of 
White  Plains.  In  1869  he  entered  the  law  department  of  Columbia  College, 
in  which  he  pursued  a  two-years  course,  teaching  in  the  district  school  in 
Bronxville  during  the  vacations  of  1869  and  1870.  He  was  graduated  with 
honor  and  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  did  not  at  once  begin  an  independent 
practice.  Upon  receiving  his  diploma  he  entered  the  office  of  Marshall  & 
Verplanck,  prominent  attorneys,  and  soon  became  their  managing  clerk, 
attending  to  a  large  part  of  their  litigated  business.  He  was  thus  engaged 
until  187s,  when  he  opened  an  office  of  his  own.  He  was  a  most  diligent 
and  painstaking  student,  but  in  his  early  career  it  was  thought  by  many  that 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  587 

he  would  not  achieve  great  success  in  the  profession  on  account  of  his  retir- 
ing disposition.  In  manner  he  was  very  unobtrusive,  shrinking  from  public- 
praise  and  avoiding  everything  that  seemed  to  partake  of  the  nature  of  osten- 
tation. Success,  however,  did  come  to  him  as  the  result  of  his  methodical 
habits  and  marked  ability.  He  made  it  a  rule  of  his  professional  career  to 
be  at  his  office  the  same  hour  every  day,  to  remain  there  for  a  certain  length 
of  time,  and  to  attend  to  such  matters  as  might  be  entrusted  to  his  manage- 
ment with  thoroughness.  His  devotion  to  his  clients'  interests  was  proverbial, 
and  this,  added  to  his  comprehensive  understanding  of  the  principles  of  juris- 
prudence, contributed  not  a  little  to  his  success.  Working  on  quietly  and 
patiently  year  after  year,  his  practice  steadily  increased  and  he  advanced  in 
public  favor.  He  resided  at  the  family  homestead  in  the  town  of  Greenburg 
and  there  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  two  terms  or  eight  years,  until 
1892,  when  he  resigned.  He  had  been  the  protector  of  his  mother  after  the 
father's  death,  and  remained  at  the  old  home  until  Mrs.  Hart  also  was  called 
away,  when  he  removed  to  White  Plains.  He  was  also  for  a  number  of  years 
attorney  for  the  town  of  Greenburg  and  a  member  of  the  town  board.  He 
was  by  no  means  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  ofifice-seeking,  much  preferring 
to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  profession,  yet  realized  fully  the 
responsibility  attaching  to  citizenship,  and  aided  in  nominating  and  elect- 
ing good  men  of  the  Democratic  party,  in  whose  principles  he  believed  so- 
firmly. 

When  a  young  man  Monmouth  Hart  united  with  the  Presbyterian  church, 
at  White  Plains,  was  ever  active  in  its  work,  served  as  trustee  for  twenty-one 
years  and  was  also  treasurer  and  elder  of  the  church  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Westchester  County  Historical  Society  and  served 
therein  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  He  was  also  prominent  in  the  White 
Plains  Good  Government  Club,  a  director  in  the  White  Plains  Bank,  which 
he  aided  in  organizing,  and  a  trustee  in  the  Savings  Bank,  serving  as  attorney 
of  both  financial  institutions.  His  clientage  was  large  and  he  was  a  safe 
counselor,  his  judgment  being  sound  and  his  conclusions  correct.  His  main 
practice  was  in  real-estate  law  and  in  the  surrogate  court,  but  he  was  well 
versed  in  the  various  departments  of  jurisprudence.  In  his  particular  lines 
he  stood  very  high,  not  only  by  reason  of  his  eminent  trustworthiness  and 
thoroughness  but  also  for  his  marked  ability.  He  was  truly  a  good  man, 
noble-spirited  and  generous, — traits  which  were  manifest  in  his  treatment  of 
poor  clients,  whom  he  served  as  faithfully  as  those  able  to  pay  large  fees.  But 
his  ambition  was  greater  than  his  strength,  and  his  devotion  to  business 
caused  his  health  to  fail.  He  frequently  visited  the  south  for  the  benefit  of 
his  health,  but  died  suddenly  of  pneumonia,  December  7,  1895,  just  as  he 
was  entering  upon  his   forty-fifth  year.      He   died  with  a  firm  faith  in  the 


588  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Christian  religion  and  his  death  was  mourned  by  many  friends  who  gathered 
to  pay  their  last  tribute  of  respect  as  he  was  laid  to  rest  in  Rural  cemetery,  by 
the  side  of  his  mother,  to  whom  he  was  ever  most  devoted. 


ISAAC  H.   VENN. 


Of  the  industrial  interests  of  Yonkers  Isaac  H.  Venn  is  a  prominent  rep- 
resentative, and  his  enterprise  and  progressiveness  make  him  a  valued  factor 
in  commercial  circles.  He  is  a  native  of  Wilmington,  Delaware,  born  March 
26,  1856,  and  is  of  Welsh  descent.  His  grandfather,  William  Venn,  lived  at 
Newport,  in  Monmouthshire,  Wales,  and  his  occupation  was  that  of  a 
cracker-maker.  He  took  part  in  the  charter  riots  of  1826,  and  was  an  influ- 
ential citizen  of  the  community.  He  held  membership  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  died  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years.  His  son,  Cornelius  H. 
Venn,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Wales,  and  when  twenty-three 
years  of  age  came  to  America,  locating  in  Wilmington,  Delaware,  where  he 
followed  the  baker's  trade  for  forty  years.  He  has  given  his  political 
support  to  the  Republican  party;  socially,  is  connected  with  the  Good  Fel- 
lows Society,  and  in  religious  belief  is  a  Presbyterian.  He  married  Hannah 
Hambleton  and  to  them  were  born  five  children:  Mrs.  Elizabeth  T.  Mahon, 
Richard  T. ,  Isaac  H.,  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Davis  and  David  H.  The  father,  who 
was  born  January  i,  1818,  is  still  living,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years, 
but  the  mother  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  She  traced  her 
ancestry  back  to  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  family  is 
of  Anglo-Saxon  origin,  and  its  representatives  were  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  Chester  and  Bucks  counties,  Pennsylvania.  In  the  latter  lived  James 
Hambleton,  a  Quaker,  and  from  him  was  descended  Samuel  Hambleton,  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject  and  the  son  of  the  eighth  John  Hambleton.  He 
was  born  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1785,  and  died  March  24,  1851. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hannah  Brown,  was  born  May  7, 
1788,  and  died  September  9,  1833,  after  which  Mr.  Hambleton  married 
Sarah  Walton.  He  was  a  farmer  and  nurseryman,  and  owned  a  farm  in 
Upper  Oxford  township,  Bucks  county,  all  his  life.  He  belonged  to  the 
Hicksite  branch  of  the  Quakers  and  was  strongly  opposed  to  all  ' '  ologies  "  and 
"isms."  His  children,  all  born  of  the  first  marriage,  were  Joseph,  Isaac. 
John,  Emil,  Sarah,  Rachel,  Hannah  and  Samuel. 

Isaac  H.  Venn  attended  the  public  schools  of  Wilmington,  Delaware, 
until  twelve  years  of  age,  and  then  worked  with  his  father  in  the  bakery, 
learning  the  trade  in  its  various  branches.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  how- 
ever, he  began  learning  the  pattern-maker's  trade   with  the  firm  of  Hillis  & 


I 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  £89' 

Jones,  of  Wilmington,  remaining  in  their  employ  from  1872  until  1876. 
Later  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Manchester,  England,  where  he  secured 
employment  with  the  firm  of  Horner  &  Barker,  manufacturers  of  soda- 
water  machinery,  ultimately  becoming  superintendent  of  their  large  plant,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  for  two  years  and  six  months.  Subsequently  he 
was  employed  for  three  months  as  assistant  foreman  in  the  pattern-making 
department  of  the  Meadow -Hall  Locomotive  Works,  and  then  took  charge 
of  the  plant  of  the  Mitchell  Wisbrodale  Foundry  Company,    near  Barnsley. 

While  abroad  Mr.  Venn  visited  various  points  of  historic  and  modern 
interest  in  Great  Britain.  He  saw  the  famous  Blarney  stone  of  Ireland;  the 
various  palaces,  now  old  in  story;  Dunbarton  castle,  on  the  Clyde;  the  tower 
of  London,  containing  the  relics  of  ancient,  mediaeval  and  modern  methods 
of  punishment  and  execution;  Holyrood  palace,  in  Scotland;  the  home  of 
John  Knox,  in  England;  Shakespeare's  home,  on  the  Avon;  St.  Paul's  cathe- 
deral,  covering  seven  acres;  Westminster  Abbey;  the  two  houses  of  parlia- 
ment; the  Crystal  Palace  of  London;  and  Cleopatra's  Needle,  the  famous 
Egyptian  obelisk  which  was  then  being  prepared  for  shipment  to  New  York, 
on  the  river  Thames.  On  one  occasion  he  was  preparing  to  go  to  Australia, 
but  owing  to  the  alarming  condition  of  his  mother's  health  he  abandoned 
the  trip. 

Returning  to  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Venn  engaged  in  the 
installment  business  in  that  city,  and  afterward  was  connected  with  the  Vul- 
can Brass  Works,  having  charge  of  the  pattern  department  for  two  years.  In 
1 88 1  he  took  charge  of  the  Charles  Teal  Pattern  Works,  in  Philadelphia,  and 
in  April,  1883,  he  came  to  Yonkers,  New  York,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  Here  he  accepted  the  position  of  foreman  of  the  pattern-making 
department  of  the  plant  owned  by  Otis  Brothers  &  Company,  and  has  since 
remained  in  charge,  having  control  over  eleven  employes.  His  thorough 
understanding  of  the  business  and  his  many  years  of  experience  render  him 
an  expert  in  his  chosen  field  of  endeavor,  and  his  skill  and  ability  have  con- 
tributed not  a  little  to  the  success  of  the  enterprise  with  which  he  has  been 
connected.  His  thorough  reliability  has  won  him  the  confidence  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  associated  in  business  and  his  standing  in  the  industrial 
circles  of  Yonkers  is  indeed  enviable. 

In  October,  1883,  Mr.  Venn  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lydia  J. 
Broomall,  a  daughter  of  Nehemiah  Broomall,  of  Delaware  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  was  a  cousin  of  Nehemiah  Broomall,  a  miller  in  Brandywine,  and 
of  Judge  John  M.  Broomall,  of  Delaware  county,  Pennsylvania.  Her  father 
heia  a  number  of  local  offices,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
His  family  numbered  seven  children:  Mary,  Thomas,  Martha,  Ellen,  John, 
Sarah  and  Jennie.      Mr.  Broomall   died  September  21,  1875,  at  the  age  of 


590  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

seventy  years,  and  his  wife  passed   away  December  28,  1891,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Venn  have  been  born  four  children:  Edith,  Viola, 
Farla  and  Roland.  The  family  is  well  known  in  the  community  and  Mr. 
Venn  is  quite  prominent  in  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  was  initiated  in 
Nepperhan  Lodge,  No.  736,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Yonkers,  and  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  Rising  Star  Lodge,  No.  450,  of  Yonkers.  He  joined  the  organization 
in  1891  and  in  1893  was  elected  senior  warden.  The  same  year  he  became 
a  member  of  Terrace  City  Chapter,  No.  177,  R.  A.  M.,  and  has  filled  its 
various  offices,  being  elected  high  priest  in  1896  and  again  in  1897.  In  1898 
he  was  again  chosen  to  that  office,  but  refused  to  serve  for  a  third  term.  In 
1899  Mr.  Venn  was  appointed  grand  master  of  the  first  veil  of  the  grand 
chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  of  the  state  of  New  York.  In  1893  he  became 
a  member  of  the  Commandery  of  Knights  Templar,  filled  several  offices 
therein,  and  is  now  trustee. 


CHARLES  H.  DODGE. 


This  enterprising  agriculturist  of  New  Castle  township  is  the  proprietor 
of  the  Chappaqua  Mountain  farm,  and  his  management  of  the  place  is 
marked  by  the  scientific  knowledge  and  skill  which  characterizes  the  modern 
farmer.  He  was  born  on  his  grandfathers  homestead.  May  25,  1840,  and  is 
a  son  of  Henry  Dodge.  His  paternal  grandparents  were  Thomas  and  Han- 
nah (Reynolds)  Dodge,  who  reared  six  children,  one  son  and  five  daughters, 
namely:  Henry,  Mrs.  Sarah  Hammond,  Mrs.  Anna  Birdsell,  Mrs.  Ann 
Washburn,  Mrs.  Abbie  Washburn  and  Mrs.  Phoebe  Washburn.  Henry 
Dodge,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  carpenter  and  undertaker,  and  in  the 
latter  occupation  did  quite  an  extensive  business,  digging  the  grave  and  mak- 
ing the  coffin  for  eight  dollars  and  up.  He  married  Miss  Rebecca  Kipp, 
a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Phoebe  Kipp,  and  the  only  child  born  of  this 
union  was  our  subject.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years,  the 
mother  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  Both  were  Hicksite  Quakers,  and  were 
highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  them. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  Charles  H.  Dodge  early  became  famiHar  with 
every  department  of  farm  work,  and  is  to-day  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
thorough  and  skillful  farmers  of  the  community.  His  literary  education  was 
obtained  in  the  local  schools.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1868,  he  wedded  Miss 
Mary  L.  Cronk,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Charity  (Acker)  Cronk,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Henry  and  Amy  (Dusenbury)  Cronk.  Her  paternal  grandfather 
was  a  native  of  Holland,  while  her  maternal  grandfather,  Wilbert  Acker,  was 
the  hero  of  Washington  Irving's  novel,  "  Wilbert's  Roost,"  which  place  was 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  591 

afterward  the  home  of  the  famous  novelist,  the  name  being  changed  to  Sun- 
nyside.  To  James  and  Charity  Cronk  were  born  five  children,  of  whom  three 
are  still  living:  Willot  A.,  a  resident  of  Peekskill;  Ezra  J.,  of  New  Castle 
township;  and  Mary  L. ,  wife  of  our  subject.  The  two  deceased  are  Leonard, 
who  was  an  officer  in  the  Union  army  during  the  civil  war  and  was  killed  in 
the  service,  leaving  a  widow  and  one  son,  Frederick,  now  a  resident  of  Tarry- 
town;  and  Robert,  who  died  at  Port  Chester,  leaving  a  widow  and  three  chil- 
dren. The  father  of  Mrs.  Dodge  died  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-seven 
years,  and  the  mother  at  the  age  of  eighty.  In  early  life  they  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  church,  but  later  united  with  the  Society  of  Friends.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dodge  were  born  three  children,  namely:  Henry,  who  mar- 
ried Millie  Halsey  and  died  August  lo,  1893,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years; 
Rebecca,  who  died  May  5,  1894,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  and  James,  who 
was  born  June  4,  1876,  and  is  the  only  one  now  living.  They  have  an 
adopted  daughter,  a  niece  of  Mrs.  Dodge — Josephine  R.,  daughter  of  Robert 
Cronk — who  has  entered  into  the  affections  of  her  foster  parents  and  in  some 
respects  fills  the  place  of  the  loved  ones  they  have  lost.  She  has  made  her 
home  with  them  since  two  years  of  age.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  the  community  with  whose  interests  they  have  long  been  identified,  and  it 
is  safe  to  say  that  none  are  held  in  higher  esteem  than  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dodge. 


GEORGE  B.  CLARK,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Clark  is  one  of  the  younger  but  most  able  representatives  of  the 
medical  profession  in  Westchester  county,  having  been  successfully  engaged  in 
practice  at  Armonk  since  the  fall  of  1 894.  He  was  born  in  Germantown,  New 
York,  December  23,  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  G.  B.  and  Eunice  E.  (Clear- 
water) Clark.  The.  father,  who  has  for  thirty  years  been  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  conference  of  New  York,  is  also  a  native  of  this  state 
and  the  son  of  Robert  Clark,  a  mechanic.  To  a  limited  extent  the  former 
attended  a  seminary  during  his  youth,  but  his  education  was  mostly  obtained 
through  his  own  unaided  efforts  and  close  application.  Like  all  ministers 
of  his  denomination,  he  has  been  located  at  various  places  and  now  has 
charge  of  the  congregation  at  Edenville,  Orange  county.  New  York.  In  his 
family  were  three  children,  namely:  Ida,  who  died  in  early  life;  George  B., 
our  subject;  and  Charles  J.,  a  civil  engineer  residing  in  Armonk. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  Dr.  Clark  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  from  place  to  place,  his  early  education  being  secured  in  the 
public  schools.  Later  he  attended  the  Hudson  River  Institute,  where  he 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1890.  After  spending  six  months  as  a  clerk 
■in  a  drug  store  he  entered  the  medical   department  of  the   Syracuse  Univer- 


592  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

sity,  at  Syracuse,  New  York,  graduating  there  June  14,  1894.  The  following- 
fall  he  came  to  Armonk  and  opened  an  office,  having  since  been  successfully 
engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  ^t  that  place.  He 
is  the  only  physician  in  the  village,  and  has  established  an  excellent  practice. 
He  has  also  practiced  quite  extensively  in  the  Westchester  county  house, 
and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  County  Medical  Society.  He  also  belongs 
to  Syracuse  Chapter,  Beta  Theta  Phi,  and  the  Junior  Order  of  American 
Mechanics.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  for  two  years  he  has  most 
capably  filled  the  office  of  town  physician. 

On  the  1 8th  of  September,  1895,  Dr.  Clark  married  Miss  Minnie  Pal- 
mer, of  Armonk,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Nancy  (Finch)  Palmer,  and  by 
this  union  one  child  has  been  born:  Charles  George.  The  Doctor  is  a  mem- 
ber af  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  while  his  wife  holds  membership  in 
the  Congregational  church,  and  socially  they  are  people  of  prominence  in 
their  community. 

HENRY  A.  REYNOLDS. 

Born  in  the  town  of  Bedford,  Westchester  county.  New  York,  June  17, 
1833,  Henry  A.  Reynolds  was  a  son  of  Daniel  C.  and  Sarah  (Mead)  Rey- 
nolds, both  natives  of  this  county.  The  former  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Cross  River,  August  13,  1812,  and  died  December  30,  1884;  and  the  latter, 
born  February  22,  18 12,  in  Bedford,  died  August  7,  1886.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  Nathaniel  Reynolds,  was  born  August  7,  1782,  at  Cross  River, 
and  died  near  Kensico,  March  13,  1874,  when  in  his  ninety-second  year. 
The  great-grandfather,  also  named  Nathaniel  Reynolds,  was  born  February 
22,  1754,  and  died  September  21,  1843.  His  wife  Hannah  was  born  March 
25.  1759.  and  died  April  11,  1846.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  Zedrick 
Mead  and  the  grandmother,  Nancy  Knapp,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Westchester  county.  Both  branches  of  the  family  were  of  English  origin. 
Walter  Mead  was  the  first  of  the  family  to  come  to  America,  and  he  settled 
at  Salem,  Massachusetts,  whence  a  branch  of  the  family  moved  to  this 
county. 

Henry  A.  Reynolds  was  the  only  son  and  surviving  child  of  his  parents. 
An  only  sister,  Nancy  C,  married  Casper  G.  Brower  and  at  her  death  left 
two  daughters,  Ida  and  Grace.  Mr.  Reynolds  attended  school  at  Mount 
Pleasant,  this  state,  and  later  at  Peekskill  Academy,  after  which  he  returned 
to  the  farm,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  twenty-one.  Having  shown  an 
aptitude  for  tools,  he  took  up  the  trade  of  carpenter,  at  which  he  worked 
about  the  home  place,  where  he  remained  with  his  parents  until  their  death. 
Before  their  death  he  came  into  possession  of  the  farm  of  fifty-five  acres, 
which  he  cultivated  during  life.     It  has  long  been  in  good  condition  and  is 


^^^^-^  *^^.^^,Jfe^^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  593 

adorned  by  a  fine  residence,  while  tiie  barns  and  outbuildings  have  been  in 
keeping,  and  an  air  of  general  prosperity  and  comfort  still  pervades  it. 

Mr.  Reynolds  was  united  in  matrimony,  December  24,  i860,  to  Miss 
Harriet  Dean  Campbell,  of  Greenburg,  the  second  daughter  of  Stephen  and 
Fannie  (Sniffin)  Campbell.  To  this  union  were  born  three  children, — two. 
sons  and  a  daughter,  as  follows:  Fannie  E.,  wife  of  C.  Booth,  of  Perth 
Amboy,  New  Jersey;  Daniel  C.  and  Herbert  A. 

Mr.  Reynolds  died  February  8,  1899,  and  was  buried  at  Kenisco  ceme- 
tery, after  a  long  period  of  sickness,  although  confined  to  his  house  but  a 
short  time.  He  was  an  earnest  Christian  and  attended  the  Reformed  Pres- 
byterian church  at  Elmsford,  New  York,  while  in  politics  he  was  inde- 
pendent. 

WILLIAM  H.   STOWE,   M.   D. 

An  eminent  physician  and  surgeon  now  located  at  Cross  River,  West- 
chester county.  New  York,  is  Dr.  Stowe,  who  was  born  in  New  Haven,  Con- 
necticut, August  10,  1842,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah  (Lees)  Stowe,  and  was 
reared  in  his  native  place,  preparing  for  college  at  General  Russell's  Colle- 
giate and  Commercial  Institute.  He  laid  aside  his  text-books,  however,  in 
September,  1861.  and  joined  the  boys  in  blue  in  the  defense  of  his  country 
during  the  civil  war.  He  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Sixth  Connecticut  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  but  in  1863  resigned  his  commission  as  lieutenant  and  until  the 
close  of  the  war  served  in  various  departments,  being  in  the  pay  department 
when  the  war  closed  in  1865.  While  with  his  regiment  he  served  in  the  south, 
and  was  in  various  engagements  along  the  southern  coast. 

After  the  war  Dr.  Stowe  studied  law  for  a  time,  and  then  engaged  in 
teaching  in  General  Russell's  Military  School  at  New  Haven,  where  he  remained 
from  1869  until  1888,  conducting  the  school  on  his  own  account  for  the  last 
three  years.  For  ten  years  he  was  also  a  member  of  the  state  military  board 
of  Connecticut.  While  engaged  in  teaching  he  prepared  to  enter  the  med- 
ical profession,  and  in  1888  was  granted  the  degree  of  M.  D.  by  the  medical 
department  of  Yale  College.  For  two  years  he  engaged  in  practice  at  New 
Haven,  and  spent  three  years  in  Pensylvania,  but  in  1894  came  to  his  pres- 
ent location  at  Cross  River,  New  York,  where  he  has  succeeded  in  building 
up  a  large  general  practice.  His  thorough  knowledge  of  medicine  and  his. 
skill  in  surgery  have  won  for  him  the  confidence  of  the  people  to  such  an 
extent  that,  though  comparatively  a  new-comer,  his  success  is  already  an 
assured  fact.  He  holds  membership  in  the  American  Medical  Association, 
the  State  Medical  Society  of  Connecticut,  and  the  Westchester  County  Med- 
ical Society.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,, 
and  is  a  worthy  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

38 


594  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

In  1869  Dr.  Stowe  wedded  Miss  Ellen  F.  Read,  who  died  May  29,  1892, 
leaving  four  children,  namely:  Sarah  R.,  nowthewifeof  Frank  E.  Weaver, 
of  Torrington,  Connecticut,  who  is  connected  with  the  Eagle  bicycle  works  at 
Torrington;  Eric  L.,  also  with  the  bicycle  company;  and  William  D.  and 
Dorothea  O.,  at  home. 

MARTIN  F.  MULRdONEY. 

Martin  F.  Mulrooney  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Yonkers.  He  was  born 
on  the  i6th  of  July,  1867,  being  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Mary  (Corley)  Mul- 
rooney. For  thirty-five  years  the  father  resided  in  this  city,  and  here  he 
died,  in  December,  1891,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years.  He  was  a  very 
enthusiastic  Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations  and  was  a  member  of  St. 
Mary's  Roman  Catholic  church.  His  wife  died  in  July,  1886,  at  the  age 
-of  forty-three  years. 

On  attaining  the  regulation  age  Martin  Mulrooney  entered  the  parochia 
•school  of  St.  Mary's  and  then  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city, 
where  he  pursued  his  education  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  put 
■aside  his  text-books  in  order  to  learn  the  more  difficult  lessons  in  the  school 
of  experience.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  dependent  entirely  upon  his 
■own  efforts  and  whatever  success  he  has  achieved  is  due  entirely  to  his 
industry  and  capable  management.  He  was  first  employed  in  Froehlich's 
stove  factory,  in  Yonkers,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  completed  his 
apprenticeship  at  the  moulder's  trade  in  the  employ  of  Otis  Brothers  &  Corti- 
pany  and  has  since  been  connected  with  their  extensive  works,  covering  a 
period  of  fifteen  years.  His  long  connection  with  that  firm  well  indicates  his 
superior  workmanship,  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  his  thorough  reliabity.  He 
is  one  of  the  most  trusted  employes  in  the  foundry,  and  well  merits  the  con- 
fidence reposed  in  him. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Mulrooney  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  always 
-taken  a  very  active  interest  in  politics,  being  a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks 
of  his  party  in  this  locality.  He  was  a  candidate  for  supervisor  from  the 
second  ward  (now  the  fifth  ward),  and  though  defeated  it  was  a  defeat  that 
amounted  almost  to  victory,  for  he  succeeded  in  reducing  the  usual  Repub- 
lican majority  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  votes  to  fourteen.  At  the  following 
election  his  opponent  was  again  candidate  for  the  office  and  received  a  major- 
ity of  five  hundred,  so  that  the  former  election  plainly  indicates  the  personal 
popularity  of  our  subject  and  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow 
townsmen.  He  is  vice-chairman  of  the  Democratic  general  committee  of 
Yonkers,  has  served  as  delegate  to  various  county,  congressional,  judicial  and 
assembly  conventions,  and  is  the  recognized  leader  of  the  Democratic  forces 
in  his  ward. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  595 

Mr.  Mulrooney  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  prog- 
ress and  upbuilding  of  his  city,  and  is  especially  prominent  in  connection 
with  the  fire  department.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hudson  Hose  Company, 
was  twice  foreman  of  the  Otis  Fire  Brigade,  and  has  represented  the  former 
on  the  board  of  the  fire  department  of  the  city  of  Yonkers.  He  has  been  one 
of  the  most  active  and  efficient  members  of  the  department,  and  has  done 
much  for  its  advancement  and  proficiency. 

In  1887  Mr.  Mulrooney  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  S.  Casey, 
a  daughter  of  Patrick  Casey,  of  Newburg,  New  York,  and  later  of  Matteawan, 
New  York,  and  to  them  have  been  born  three  children:  Frank,  James  and 
Anna.  The  family  are  members  of  the  St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  church 
and  Mr.  Mulrooney  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Foresters  of 
America  and  the  Otis  Mutual  Aid  Society. 


ALBERT  A.  ULTCHT. 


Practical  men  like  the  subject  of  this  sketch  are  the  only  real  builders  of 
the  institutions  of  civilization;  and  Mr.  Ultchtis  not  only  to  be  classed  among 
the  builders  but  even  in  the  front  rank  of  the  builders,  possibly  the  first  one 
in  that  rank  in  Mount  Vernon.  In  both  material  and  spiritual  matters  he  has 
been  remarkably  efficient. 

Mr.  Ultcht  was  born  June  5,  1862,  in  Dutchess  county,  New  York. 
His  father,  Augustus  S.  Ultcht,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  served  in  the  Saxon 
wars  and  thereafter  came  to  America.  He  was  a  man  of  good  education  and 
natural  ability,  and  located  in  the  town  of  Stanford,  Dutchess  county,  this 
state,  where  he  became  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  and  accumulated  considerable  property.  In  his  politics  he  was  in 
general  a  Democrat,  but  an  independent  thinker  and  voter.  In  his  religion- 
he  was  a  Lutheran  in  the  Fatherland,  but  in  this  country  was  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.  He  was  born  May  14,  1827,  and  died  on  his  home 
farm,  in  February,  1897,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years;  and  his  wife,  Augusta, 
who  was  born  October  21,  1828,  departed  this  life  February  26,  1876.  They 
had  seven  children:  The  first  died  in  infancy,  unnamed;  Charles  P.,  August, 
Samuel,  Albert  A.,  Minnie,  Henrietta  Millus  and  Mary  Cables. 

Mr.  Albert  A.  Ultcht  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when  his  mother  died;  he 
■afterward  found  employment  on  a  farm  until  sixteen  years  old,  when  he 
began  to  learn  the  mason's  trade,  serving  a  three-years  apprenticeship;  and 
at  this  trade  he  was  employed  six  years  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  and  he 
■continued  as  a  journeyman  at  the  trade  until  1889,  when  he  became  associ- 
ated with  Frank  G.  Bruce,  forming  the  firm  of  Bruce  &  Ultcht,  contractors 
and  builders;  but  this  partnership  was  terminated  at  the  end  of  a  year,  and 


596        ■  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

since  then  Mr.  Ultcht  has  operated  alone.  His  offices  are  at  No.  1 1  South 
Third  avenue,  Mount  Vernon,  New  York.  Although  the  building  interest 
has  been  rather  dull  in  Mount  Vernon  for  some  time,  Mr.  Ultcht  has  all  the 
contracts  he  can  handle,  employing  sometimes  as  many  as  seventy-five  men. 
He  is  careful,  conservative  and  faithful  to  all  promises,  is  industrious,  ener- 
getic and  wide-awake — indeed  one  of  the  most  enterprising  citizens  of  the  city 
of  Mount  Vernon. 

Mr.  Ultcht  takes  great  interest  in  public  affairs,  in  which  he  exerts  a 
powerful  influence,  in  national  affairs  being  a  Democrat  and  in  local  interests 
independent.  He  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  aldermen,  representing  the  first  ward,  to  which  office  he  was  elected  by 
a  majority  larger  than  the  total  nnmber  of  votes  received  by  his  opponent. 
He  is  considered  one  of  the  most  aggressive  and  important  members  of  the 
board — in  fact,  the  leader.  To  the  interests  of  his  city  he  has  devoted  a 
great  deal  of  time  and  labor.  He  is  an  influential  member  of  the  Firemen's 
Association,  having  served  five  years  in  the  fire  department  of  the  city,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Firemen's  Benevolent  Association,  and  the  East  Side 
Improvement  Association.  In  the  fraternal  orders  he  holds  membership  in 
Hiawatha  Lodge,  No.  434,  F.  &A.  M. ;  Einheit  Lodge,  No.  461,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  Guiding  Star  Lodge,  No.  3,  of  the  Encampment 
of  the  latter  order.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Mount  Vernon  City  Club,  Mount 
Vernon  Bicycle  Club,  and  an  honorary  member  of  the  Board  of  Trade.  In 
religion  he  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church  at  Mount  Vernon, 
which  was  organized  in  1895.  For  the  house  of  worship  of  this  denomination 
he  purchased  the  site  and  at  his  own  risk  and  responsibility  erected  the  build- 
ing, in  1897,  and  the  church  has  already  paid  for  it.  He  may  therefore  be 
considered  the  leader  in  the  interests  of  his  church  at  Mount  Vernon.  He 
.is  also  a  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

June  21,  1884,  is  the  date  of  Mr.  Ultcht's  union  in  matrimony  with 
Miss  Elizabeth  E.  Terwilliger  (daughter  of  William  and  Glorianna  (Wy- 
gant)  Terwilliger,  and  they  have  two  children, — William  Albert  and  Floyd 
Stanley. 

ALFRED  LAWRENCE. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  residents  of  Tarrytown,  New  York,  is  Alfred 
Lawrence,  a  brief  biography  of  whom  follows.  Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Mary  Lawrence,  and  was  born  in  New  York  city,  June  15,  1809. 
There  his  grandfather  lived  and  there  his  father,  who  was  a  lawyer  and  a 
public  man,  was  born,  his  death  occurring  in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  of 
yellow  fever.     John  and  Mary  Lawrence  had  but  one  child,  our  subject. 

When  his  father  died  Alfred  Lawrence  was  but  a  mere  lad.    He  attended 


>^-C^^Xj^^t^^^Ck:yC^^^tJ^^^ 


0.'^'^<v^t.-C^^--3't_^         t/^O 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  597 

the  old  Duane  street  school,  where  many  since  eminent  New  Yorkers 
received  their  primary  education,  and  when  he  was  old  enough  learned  the 
trade  of  horse-shoeing,  at  which  he  busied  himself  three  years.  Then  he 
went  to  boating  between  New  York  and  Albany  and  became  a  captain,  being 
well  known  along  the  lower  Hudson.  For  fifteen  years  he  was  thus  employed 
and  then  located  at  Tarrytown  and  engaged  in  marketing  and  the  saloon 
business.  Later  he  became  a  popular  hotel-keeper,  and  as  such  for  nearly 
half  a  century  greeted  those  who  came  to  Tarrytown. 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  an  old-time  Democrat,  and,  as  events  proved,  a  war 
Democrat.  He  took  an  active  interest  in  politics  as  a  young  man,  and  an 
even  more  active  interest  in  fighting  fire.  He  had  been  a  member  of  the 
"Old  Fourteenth"  engine  company  of  New  York  city,  with  headquarters  at 
Vesey  and  Church  streets,  and  had  done  gallant  service  with  "Old  Number 
One."  He  was  the  organizer  of  the  fire  department  at  Tarrytown,  and  his 
experience  in  New  York, —  including  that  at  the  great  fire  which,  on  Decem- 
ber i6,  1835,  burned  out  a  block  opening  from  Broadway  to  the  East  river, — 
was  useful  in  that  work  and  in  the  active  operations  which  naturally  fol- 
lowed as  occasion  demanded.  He  gathered  the  original  Phoenix  Company 
together  and  then,  at  his  own  expense,  secured  for  "the  boys"  an  engine 
from  Syracuse.  It  cost  six  hundred  dollars,  but  he  did  not  stop  working  and 
giving  until  a  suitable  engine-house  was  erected.  When  the  department  was 
reorganized,  in  1861,  he  was  elected  its  chief,  and  he  held  that  office  most 
efficiently  for  many  years,  except  while  in  military  service  in  the  south. 
For  several  years  he  was  chief  of  police  at  Tarrytown. 

May  31,  i86r,  Mr.  Lawrence  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Thirty-second 
New  York  Volunteers,  and  his  oldest  son,  Henry  A.  Lawrence,  enlisted  with 
him.  The  regiment  proceeded  to  Washington,  thence  to  Alexandria,  and 
was  soon  at  the  front.  At  Bull  Run,  young  Lawrence,  who  had  been  pro- 
moted to  sergeant,  was  wounded  and  later  perished  by  fire  as  he  lay  helpless 
on  the  field!  The  fire  company  he  had  organized  at  Tarrytown  formed  the 
nucleus  of  Company  H  and  contributed  thirty  members  to  it.  Mr.  Lawrence 
was  made  sergeant  at  the  beginning.  He  was  promoted  to  be  second  lieu- 
tenant June  12,  1862,  and  to  the  first  lieutenancy  of  the  company  March  20, 
1863.  He  was  mustered  out  of  service  June  9,  following.  He  was  in  the 
Second  Brigade,  Fifth  Division  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  until  Octo- 
ber 15,  1861;  in  the  Third  Brigade,  Fifth  Division  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac until  May,  1862;  in  the  Second  Brigade,  First  Division,  Sixth  Corps  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  until  May,  1563, — almost  at  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service.  He  participated  in  duty  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington  and 
at  Fairfax  Court  House,  in  the  Blackburn's  Ford  affair,  in  the  memorable 
Bull  Run  fight,  in  the  skirmish  near  Munson  Hill  and  in  that  at  Annandale, 


598  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

in  the  Peninsula  campaign,  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  in  the  expedition  to 
West  Point  and  in  the  engagement  at  West  Point,  in  the  affairs  at  Barbours- 
ville  and  Ethan's  Landing,  in  the  seven-days  battles  before  Richmond,  in  the 
engagements  at  Gaines'  Mills,  Gamett's  and  Golding's  Farms,  Savage  Station, 
White  Oak  Swamp,  Malvern  Hill,  Bakersville,  South  Mountain,  Antietam, 
Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville,  Mayer's  Heights,  Salem  Church  and  inter- 
mediate points,  doing  soldiers'  duty  in  camp,  on  the  field  of  battle  and  on 
many  long  and  weary  marches. 

Mr.  Lawrence  is  an  active  and  enthusiastic  G.  A.  R.  man  and  was  a 
member  of  Acker  Post,  of  Tarrytown,  until  it  was  disbanded,  and  since  then 
he  has  been  a  member  of  Kitching  Post,  of  Yonkers.  He  has  been  for  many 
years  identified  with  the  Masonic  order.  He  has  in  his  posession  a  badge  of 
the  Richmond,  Virginia,  chief  of  police  which  was  taken  off  the  coat  of  that 
officer  during  the  war  at  Morrisonville,  near  Richmond. 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  married,  in  August,  1841,  to  Emily  Minnerly,  of 
Mount  Pleasant,  who  died  July  17,  1878,  and  who  bore  him  the  following 
named  children:  Edward  A.,  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness; 
Henry  A.,  who  is  deceased;  Louisa,  wife  of  Wilson  Acker,  ticket  agent  for 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  Company,  in  New  York 
city;  Peter,  of  Tarrytown,  who  married  Rebecca  Knapp,  died  June  5,  1899; 
Sarah,  wife  of  John  McNally,  postmaster  of  Sing  Sing;  Alfred,  Jr.,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  fifteen;  and  George  and  Nellie,  who  died  in  infancy.  August  5, 
1885,  Mr.  Lawrence  married  Emeline  (Cole)  Lake,  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Aletta  Cole,  of  Pleasant  Valley,  Dutchess  county.  Mr.  Cole  was  a  farmer 
of  prominence,  and  he  died  in  1852,  aged  sixty-one.  By  his  present  wife, 
Mr.  Lawrence  has  no  children.  Mrs.  Lawrence's  family  is  well  known  in 
this  part  of  the  state.  One  of  her  sisters  was  Mrs.  Euphemia  Bishop;  another 
is  Mrs.  Susan  Ann  King,  a  widow;  a  third  is  Mrs.  Mary  Lake,  of  Yonkers. 
By  her  marriage  with  Jeremiah  Lake,  deceased,  Mrs.  Lawrence  has  four 
children:  Emma,  Mrs.  William  DeRevere,  Mrs.  Cornell  and  Mrs.  Mollie 
Beesmer. 


JAMES  D.  McCABE. 
"  The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man,"  said  Pope,  and  aside  from  this, 
in  its  broader  sense,  what  base  of  study  and  information  have  we.'  Genealog- 
ical research,  then,  has  its  value, — be  it  in  the  tracing  of  an  obscure  and 
broken  line  or  the  following  back  of  the  course  of  a  noble  and  illustrious 
lineage  whose  men  have  been  valorous,  whose  women  of  gentle  refinement. 
We  of  this  end-of-the-century,  democratic  type  cannot  afford  to  scoff  at  or 
hold  in  light  esteem  the  bearing  up  of  a  'scutcheon  upon  whose  fair  face 
appears  no  sign  of  blot;  and  he  should  thus  be  the  more  honored  who  honors 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  599 

a  noble  name  and  the  memory  of  noble  deeds.  The  lineage  of  the  subject 
of  this  review  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  and  interesting  order,  and  no 
apology  need  be  made  in  reverting  to  this  in  connection  with  the  individual 
accomplishments  of  the  subject  himself. 

The  paternal  great-grandfather,  James  McCabe,  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land and  served  as  a  trooper  under  Prince  William  of  Orange  in  a  war 
against  the  king  of  Ireland.  John  McCabe,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle  at  Tanderagee,  county  Armagh,  where  the 
family  lived  until  it  was  transplanted  to  American  soil  by  James  McCabe,  th& 
father  of  James  D.,  who  established  the  old  McCabe  homestead  in  the  town, 
of  Scarsdale,  Westchester  county.  New  York.  There  he  spent  his  remaining 
days.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Donovan,  who  was  born  in  this 
country,  where  her  maternal  ancestors  (the  Kipps  and  Fishers)  have  resided 
since  the  year  1630.  Her  father  belonged  to  one  of  the  distingnished  families 
of  the  Emerald  Isle,  whose  ancestry  has  been  traced  back  in  Burk's  History 
of  the  Landed  Gentry  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  to  the  year  960,  and  the 
line  embraces  earls  and  other  members  of  the  nobility.  They  owned  a  very 
extensive  estate  in  Ireland,  and  were  possessors  of  much  wealth.  The  great- 
grandfather of  our  subject  was  Edward  Donovan,  of  the  Ballymore  estate 
near  Dublin,  Ireland,  who  wedded  Mary  Broughton,  of  Maidstone,  Kent,  Eng- 
land, whose  mother  was  Mary  Ogle,  only  daughter  of  Samuel  Ogle,  Esq. ,  a  mem- 
ber of  parliament  for  Berwick,  England.  He  was  also  governor  of  the  Mary- 
land colony  from  1732  to  1733,  from  1735  to  1742.  One  of  the  sons  of 
Edward  and  Mary  Donovan  was  the  Rev.  George  Ogle  Donovan,  who  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Dublin  and  was  educated  at  Kings  College,  Dublin,  and 
studied  for  th«  ministry  of  the  Established  Church  of  England,  but  afterward 
left  that  church,  became  a  Wesleyan  preacher  and  traveled  for  seven  years  in 
Ireland  under  a  license  from  John  Wesley.  He  then  came  to  the  United 
States  and  took  an  active  part  in  furthering  the  cause  of  Methodism  in  this 
country,  as  a  local  preacher,  and  about  1797  he  located  at  Jamaica,  Long 
Island.  He  married  Mary  Devereux,  who  was  born  in  New  York  city,  but 
was  of  French  descent.  Her  ancestors,  De  Evereux,  removed  from  France 
to  England,  on  account  of  the  religious  persecution  in  the  former  land,  and 
they  were  married  in  Wexford,  Ireland.  Her  father  was  Captain  James 
Devereux,  a  shipping  merchant,  who  owned  the  vessels  which  he  sailed 
and  their  cargoes,  and  sailed  under  the  British  flag.  His  home  at  this  time 
was  in  New  York  city.  He  made  voyages  between  Liverpool,  New  York  and 
West  Indies.  At  the  time  of  the  American  Revolution  he  was  a  loyalist  and 
was  three  times  captured  and  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war  by  the  colonial  troops. 
One  of  the  two  daughters  of  George  and  Mary  (Devereux)  Donovan  was 
Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  James  McCabe.      She  was  born  May  2,  l799^ 


600  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

in  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  and  died  in  the  old  home  at  Scarsdale,  April  i6, 
1887.     The  other  daughter  was  Phebe,  who  died  a  spinster. 

The  father  of  our  subject  passed  away  February  26,  1855,  his  wife  long 
surviving  him.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children:  Mary  J.,  who  died 
November  7,  1892;  James  D. ;  Phcebe  A. ,  who  departed  this  life  May  15, 
1892;  Ellen  A.,  who  resides  with  her  brother  at  the  old  home;  and  George 
D.  died  when  an  infant. 

At  the  old  family .  homestead  in  the  town  of  Scarsdale,  Westchester 
county,  James  D.  McCabe  was  born,  December  16,  1826.  He  spent  his 
boyhood  on  the  farm  and  was  sent  to  the  district  school  of  the  neighborhood, 
where  he  acquired  a  fair  English  education.  For  many  years  he  successfully 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  and  though  he  has  now  retired  from  that 
vocation  he  is  still  the  owner  of  fifty  acres  of  rich  and  valuable  land.  He 
extended  the  field  of  his  endeavors  by  becoming  agent  for  several  fire-insur- 
ance companies  and  for  some  years  past  has  given  his  attention  to  the  fire- 
insurance  business. 

March  12,  1861,  J.  D.  McCabe  was  united  in  marriage  to'Miss  Sarah  E. 
Fish,  only  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Fish.  She  died  May  6,  1864,  leaving 
a  son,  Edward  Devereux,  who  married  Miss  Madeline  B.  Kipp,  a  daughter 
of  George  O.  Kipp,  and  resides  in  Brooklyn. 

In  pohtics  Mr.  McCabe  is  a  stanch  Jeffersonian  Democrat,  firm  in  his 
allegiance  to  the  national  principles  of  his  party.  For  several  years  he  was 
justice  of  the  peace  and  for  some  time  was  also  assessor  of  the  town  of 
Scarsdale.  His  time  is  now  given  to  the  management  of  his  business  and 
property  interests.  His  entire  life  has  been  spent  in  this  locality,  and  that 
the  acquaintances  of  his  youth  are  numbered  among  the  friends  of  his  man- 
hood stands  in  unmistakable  evidence  of  an  honorable  career. 


JOHN  H.    TREMPER. 


For  thirty-eight  years  John  Henry  Tremper  has  been  connected  with  the 
business  of  Yonkers,  and  he  to-day  occupies  in  commercial  circles  an  honored 
place  accorded  him  by  reason  of  his  straightforward  dealing,  his  enterprise 
and  his  diligence.  A  native  of  the  Empire  state,  he  was  born  in  Clarkstown, 
Rockland  county,  July  20,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  Harmann  and  Eliza  Ann 
(Bell)  Tremper.  Although  the  history  of  the  origin  of  the  family  is  lost  in 
the  remote  regions  of  antiquity,  the  following  record  of  the  family  to  which 
the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  belonged  is  authentic;  Christiana,  the 
eldest  child,  was  born  October  31,  1732,  was  baptized  on  the  nth  of  Novem- 
ber following  and  married  Ebenezer  Wood;  Anna  Christine,  born  September 
13.  1735.  was  followed  by  Margretje,  born  February  8,  1737;  John  Jacob, 


fii/i^  /&  (^■v.e^T^yi/A^e^ 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  601 

TDorn  April  28,  1739;  Elizabeth,  born  April  5,  1741;  William,  born  July  13, 
1743;  Harmann,  born  September  15,  1745;  John,  born  November  21,  1747; 
and  Johannas  Jerry,  born  June  13,  1751.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  a  farmer  of  Clarkstown,  New  York,  and  in  his  political  views  was 
a  Democrat.  He  had  nine  children:  Rebecca,  Sallie,  Maggie,  Elizabeth, 
Mrs.  Myder,  Hance,  Jacob,  Peter  and  Harmann. 

The  last  named,  Harmann  Tremper,  was  born  at  Clarkstown,  New  York, 
December  25.  1784,  and  died  March  5,  1861.  He  learned  the  weaver's  trade 
and  followed  that  pursuit  in  connection  with  farming.  He  served  his  country 
in  the  war  of  181 2,  and  was  afterward  granted  a  pension  in  recognition  of  the 
aid  he  rendered  the  nation.  He  was  married  to  EHza  Ann  Bell  December  31, 
1802,  and  to  them  were  born  nine  children:  Catherine,  wife  of  Joseph  Daniels; 
•George  R. ,  who  wedded  Mary  E.  Town,  Hannah  Maria,  wife  of  Harman  Hoff- 
man, who  was  engaged  in  the  ice  business  at  Rockland  Lake,  New  York,  and 
died  March  12,  1889,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years;  Harvey,  who  died  in 
1848,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  Abraham,  who  died  August  11,  1883,  at  the 
age  of  forty-seven  years;  John  H.,  of  this  review;  Eliza  Ann,  wife  of  Ebenezer 
Hazzard;  Harriet,  wife  of  John  Rogers;  and  Emily,  who  died  September  9, 
1847. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  John  H.  Tremper  acquired  his 
■education,  but  put  aside  his  text-books  whon  fourteen  years  of  age  in  order 
to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  seventeen  years.  In 
1 86 1  he  came  to  Yonkers,  where  he  engaged  in  carpentering  for  some  years, 
but  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has  dealt  in  ice,  and  has  become  one  of  the 
leading  merchants  in  his  line  in  the  city.  He  formerly  owned  a  pond  from 
which  he  took  the  ice,  but  now  deals  in  Hudson  river  ice.  His  trade  con- 
stantly increasing,  has  demanded  six  wagons  with  which  to  deliver  ice  to  his 
patrons,  and  his  business  thus  grew  to  large  proportions.  As  his  financial 
resources  have  increased  he  has  made-  judicious  investments  in  real  estate, 
and  is  now  the  owner  of  considerable  valuable  property  both  improved  and 
and  unimproved,  including  a  fine  residence. 

On  the  3rd  of  January,  1863,  Mr.  Tremper  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Frances  Tompkins,  a  daughter  of  William  S.  Tompkins,  a  celebrated 
drum  manufacturer,  residing  in  Yonkers.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
five  children:  Fannie  E. ,  wife  of  John  S.  Hoyt,  an  official  in  the  armory 
at  the  Battery,  in  New  York  city,  but  a  resident  of  Yonkers;  George  R. ,  who 
married  Gertrude  King  and  is  in  the  ice  business  in  Yonkers;. Louise  T.,  Ella 
B.  and  Mary  A.,  at  home. 

Mr.  Tremper  gives  his  political  support  to  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Republican  party,  with  which  he  has  affiliated  since  attaining  his  majority. 
He  feels  a  deep  interest  in  its  success  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues 


602  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

of  the  day,  but  has  never  sought  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time 
and  energies  to  the  management  of  his  business  interests.  He  is  a  man  of 
marked  business  and  executive  ability,  and  from  the  time  when  he  started  out 
to  learn  carpentering,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  has  steadily  advanced,  until 
he  now  occupies  a  leading  position  in  commercial  circles  in  Yonkers.  His 
course  has  ever  been  characterized  by  strict  adherence  to  duty  and  the  right, 
and  he  enjoys  the  public  confidence  in  a  high  degree.  The  family  attend  the 
Reformed  church  in  Yonkers. 


MICHAEL  HENRY  REAGAN. 

This  well  known  Democratic  politician  of  Yonkers  is  a  native  of  this- 
place,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  old  third  ward,  February  2,  1853. 
His  parents  were  Patrick  and  Johanna  (Monahan)  Reagan,  the  father  a  native 
of  county  Kerry,  Ireland.  After  his  marriage  he  came  to  the  United  States, 
and  for  years  was  the  flagman  and  agent  at  Glenwood  Station,  this  city,  and 
later  was  employed  at  the  local  gas-works  plant.  He  was  a  Republican  and 
was  a  hero  of  the  civil  war,  his  life  being  offered  up  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  land 
of  his  adoption.  He  served  in  the  Sixth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery,  under 
command  of  Captain  Meyer,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness. 
Mr.  Reagan  was  wounded  in  the  ankle  and  was  left  for  two  days  and  two 
nights  on  the  battle-field,  and  while  being  conveyed  to  Richmond,  as  a 
prisoner,  died  in  the  hands  of  his  captors,  his  sufferings  and  exposure  to  the 
elements  having  proved  too  much  for  even  his  strong  constitution.  He  was 
a  brave  soldier  and  had  participated  in  numerous  other  engagements  and 
battles.  Religiously,  he  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  belonging  to  St.  Mary's 
parish.  His  widow  died  in  1876,  aged  about  forty-two  years.  Of  their  chil- 
dren, Ellen  is  the  wife  of  Martin  Coyne;  Mary  died  when  young;  Arthur  is  the 
next  in  order  of  birth;  and  Catherine. Murphy  and  Margaret  are  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  St.  Mary's  old  and  new  parochial 
schools  in  the  city,  and  also  went  to  the  public  grammar  school  No.  6.  He 
left  his  studies  at  an  early  age  and  commenced  the  struggle  for  a  livelihood. 
For  some  years  he  worked  in  a  silk  mill,  and  by  the  time  he  was  sixteen 
occupied  the  very  responsible  position  of  foreman  of  the  spinning-room.  He 
was  with  the  firm,  W.  B.  Copcutt,  for  about  five  years  in  the  capacity  men- 
tioned, and  gave  general  satisfaction.  He  mastered  the  trade  of  hat-finisher, 
and  has  filled  the  place  of  superintendent  of  this  special  department  with 
several  large  concerns  in  Reading,  Pennsylvania,  continuing  in  that  line  of 
business  up  to  1887.  He  then  returned  to  this  city,  and  on  the  site  of  the 
old  homestead  built  a  substantial  business  block.  Here  he  embarked  in  gen- 
eral merchandising,  and  carried  a  special  line  of  sea  food. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  60B 

For  a  quarter  of  a  century  Mr.  Reagan  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  and  was  prominently  connected  with  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Division  No.  14,  one  of  the  strongest  lodges  in  the  county 
to-day.  He  has  been  treasurer  of  the  same  since  its  organization,  about  ten 
years  ago.  For  two  consecutive  terms  he  was  the  chairman,  and  for  a 
period  the  treasurer,  of  a  volunteer  fire  company,  but  has  served  out  his  time 
and  is  now  an  honorary  member  and  belongs  to  the  Exempt  Firemen's  Asso- 
ciation. He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Columbia  Hook  &  Ladder  Com- 
pany, No.  2.  In  the  local  Democratic  ranks  he  has  always  been  an 
important  factor  since  he  arrived  at  his  majority;  has  been  a  delegate  to 
various  conventions,  and  is  a  member  of  the  general  committee  of  his  party 
hereabouts.  In  1898  he  was  a  candidate  on  the  independent  ticket  for 
alderman  from  the  sixth  ward,  and  won  against  a  very  strong  Democratic 
vote.  There  are  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty-six  voters  in  this  ward;  twelve 
hundred  votes  were  polled,  and  of  these  he  received  a  majority  of  fifty-six 
votes.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Holy  Name  Society  of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic 
church,  and  is  a  member  of  the  church,  as  well. 

In  1878  Mr.  Reagan  married  Anna  Bach,  and  of  their  eleven  children 
seven  are  living,  namely:  Margaret,  Ellen,  Michael,  Mamie,  Catherine, 
Julia  and  Rose.      This  worthy  couple  have  also  adopted  a  son,  John  Murphy. 


WILLIAM  MORTON,  Jr. 


This  prosperous  business  man  of  Croton,  New  York,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Croton  all  his  life.  He  was  born  here  November  11,  1847,  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Eliza  J.  (Sherwood)  Morton. 

The  Mortons  have  long  been  identified  with  Westchester  county.  Will- 
iam Morton,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Somerstown,  this  county, 
in  18 12,  and  was  for  forty  years  a  freighter  on  the  Hudson  river,  owning  a 
line  of  sailing  craft  that  ran  between  Croton  and  New  York  city.  He  was 
well  known  and  highly  respected  here.  He  died  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-two years.  His  parents  were  William  and  Chloe  Ann  (Teed)  Morton. 
William  Morton,  the  elder,  was  a  farmer.  He  was  born  in  the  north  of  Ire- 
land, and  came  to  America  in  1780,  locating  in  Westchester  county.  New 
York.  He  married,  in  Somerstown,  Miss  Chloe  Ann  Teed,  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  to  them  were  born  four  children,  namely:  William,  father  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch;  John,  a  resident  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  now  eighty- 
four  years  of  age;  George,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty;  and  Chloe,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  As  far  back  as  their  history  is  traced  the 
family  have  been  stanch  Methodists.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  built 
a  Methodist  church  at  Mount  Airy,  New  York.     William  and  Eliza  J.  (Sher- 


604  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

wood)  Morton  had  nine  children,  namely:  Chloe  Ann,  deceased  wife  of 
Ebenezer  Fowler;  Eliza  J.,  wife  of  Isenhort  Flewellyn;  George,  a  resident 
of  Peekskill,  New  York,  successor  to  his  father  in  the  freighting  business; 
John,  a  resident  of  New  York  city,  is  by  occupation  a  brickmaker;  William, 
whose  name  forms  the  heading  of  this  article;  Sherwood,  a  pilot,  has  his 
residence  at  Croton;  Frank,  deceased;  Maria  L.,  wife  of  J.  G.  Miller,  of 
Sing  Sing,  New  York;  and  Ella,  widow  of  George  W.  Barmore. 

After  finishing  his  schooling  Mr.  William  Morton  engaged  in  boating 
with  his  father  on  the  Hudson  river,  and  was  thus  occupied  until  he  reached 
his  majority.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  Cyrus  Frost,  a  merchant  of 
Croton,  with  whom  he  remained  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  that  time  going 
into  business  for  himself,  and  entering  upon  a  career  that  has  proved  a  most 
successful  one.  He  began  with  a  small  stock  of  goods  purchased  with  money 
he  had  earned  by  his  own  efforts,  and  with  no  aid  he  has  pushed  forward  to 
the  marked  success  he  has  achieved.  From  time  to  time  he  has  made  valu- 
able investments  with  his  surplus.  He  has  bought  property  and  erected  a 
number  of  dwellings  in  the  town  and  in  this  way  has  he  done  much  to  pro- 
mote the  growth  of  Croton.  Politically  he  is  an  ardent  Democrat,  and  a 
number  of  local  offices  have  been  ably  filled  by  him.  Fraternally  he  affiliates 
•with  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men. 

Mr.  Morton  was  married  in  1872  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Grattan,  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  Grattan,  and  their  happy  union  has  been  blessed  in  the  birth 
of  ten  children,  all  now  at  home,  namely:  Ahce,  Grace,  Frank,  Elizabeth, 
Minnie,  Robert,  Arthur,  Albert,  Gertrude  and  Esther.  He  and  his  family 
are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  is  a  vestryman. 


JAMES  F.  MERRITT. 


This  well-known  and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Bedford  township, 
Westchester  county,  has  accomplished  a  most  satisfactory  work  as  a  farmer 
and  has  succeeded  in  accumulating  a  valuable  estate.  He  was  born  on  the 
20th  of  May,  1820,  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  and  is  descended 
from  good  old  Revolutionary  stock,  his  grandfather,  John  Merritt,  also  a 
native  of  this  county,  having  aided  the  colonies  in  their  successful  struggle 
for  independence.  Both  he  and  his  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Sarah  Miller,  died  in  Westchester  county.  Their  children  were  David, 
Stephen,  John  and  Ruth,  now  Mrs.  Elliott  Smith. 

John  Merritt,  Jr.,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Bedford  township, 
and  on  reaching  manhood  married  Miss  Hannah  Gregory,  daughter  of  Stephen 
and  Chloe  Gregory,  whose  family  also  was  represented  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.     Six  children  were  born  to  John  and  Hannah  Merritt,  namely:     Mrs. 


OUi^-lyU^ 


"jrJuJu^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  605 

Ruth   A.    Timberman;  Mrs.    Phoebe   Newman;  Chloe,    wife   of  Colonel   E. 
Avery,  a  state  officer;  James   F.,  our  subject;  and   Norman   and   Caroline^ 
both  deceased.     The  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occuption,  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  a  Methodist  in  religious  belief,  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years, 
and  his  estimable  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty-six. 

James  F.  Merritt  was  reared  to  rural  Hfe,  his  education  being  obtained 
in  the  public  schools  near  his  boyhood  home.  Throughout  his  business 
career  he  has  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  with  marked  success,  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  several  fine  farms,  known  as  the  Newman,  the  Daniel 
Bouton,  the  John  Banks,  and  also  a  part  of  the  Peter  Miller  farm  and  a  part 
of  the  Alva  Miller  farm,  aggregating  over  four  hundred  acres,  most  of  which 
are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved.  In  connectio  n 
with  general  farming  he  has  been  interested  in  stock-raising  and  the  milk 
business  for  forty-eight  years,  and  in  these  branches  of  his  business  has  also 
met  with  success. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-six,  Mr.  Merritt  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Lucy  A.  Whitlock,  a  daughter  of  John  B.  and  Rachel  (Umsted)  Whitlock, 
of  Whitlockville,  and  by  this  union  two  children  have  been  born:  John  B., 
who  married  Phoebe  Teed,  and  has  one  child,  Ella  Maud;  and  Ella,  wife  of 
Isaac  Turner,  of  Bedford  township,  this  county.  For  over  half  a  century 
this  worthy  couple  have  traveled  life's  journey  together,  sharing  with  each 
other  its  joys  and  sorrows,  its  adversity  and  prosperity,  and  now  in  their 
declining  years  they  are  surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances who  esteem  them  highly  for  their  genuine  worth.  He  is  an  earnest 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Merritt  is  a 
Democrat;  and  she  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 


REV.   WILLIAM  B.  WALLER. 

William  Bradley  Waller  is  one  who  has  done  much  and  done  it  well, — 
wherein  all  honor  lies.  A  man  of  ripe  scholarship  and  marked  executive 
ability,  his  life  has  been  consecrated  to  the  cause  of  the  Master  and  to  the 
uplifting  of  men.  He  has  devoted  himself  without  ceasing  to  the  interests 
of  humanity  and  to  the  furtherance  of  all  good  works.  His  reputation  is  not 
of  a  restricted  order,  and  his  power  and  influence  in  his  holy  office  have  been 
exerted  in  a  spirit  of  deepest  human  sympathy  and  tender  solicitude. 

Rev.  Waller  was  born  in  Berwick,  Pennsylvania,  June  24,  1848,  a  son 
of  William  Lindsley  and  Louisa  (Bonham)  Waller.  His  father  was  for  forty 
years  a  ruling  elder  in  the  New  York  Avenue  Presbyterian  church,  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. ,  in  which  city  the  son  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  childhood 
and  youth.     His  preliminary  education  was    supplemented    by  a  course  in 


606  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Princeton  College,  in  which  institution  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1869.  He  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  for  a  year  and  then  returning 
to  Princeton  pursued  a  course  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  in  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1873.  On  the  19th  of  February  of  the  following  year 
he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  by  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  North; 
and  during  his  ministerial  service  of  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has 
occupied  but  two  regular  pastorates.  In  1876  he  became  pastor  of  the  newly 
organized  Green  Ridge  Avenue  Presbyterian  church,  in  Scranton,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  remained  until  1882,  when  he  accepted  a  call  from  the  First 
Presbyterian  church,  of  New  Rochelle.  Here  he  has  remained  continuously 
since  as  the  beloved  pastor  of  that  congregation.  The  church  is  one  of  the 
oldest  in  the  Empire  state.  It  practically  had  its  origin  at  the  time  of  the 
Huguenot  landing  in  Echo  bay,  in  1687.  Like  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  who  had 
landed  at  Plymouth  nearly  seventy  years  before,  they  brought  their  church 
with  them  fully  organized,  and  on  the  first  Sunday  which  they  spent  in  the 
the  New  World  their  pastor.  Rev.  David  de  Bonrepos,  called  his  peo- 
ple about  him  in  divine  worship.  Exiled  from  their  beloved  La  Rochelle, 
these  French  Protestants  named  the  new  town  which  they  founded  in  Amer- 
ica after  their  old  home.  In  1689  they  erected  their  house  of  worship  near 
the  present  site  of  the  church,  but  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1723.  Poverty 
and  other  difficulties  often  deprived  them  of  a  preacher,  but  the  little  band 
clung  together  and  secured  a  regular  legal  incorporation  February  22,  1808. 
All  this  time  they  were  commonly  known  as  the  "French  church,"  the  official 
record  of  their  incorporation  naming  them  the  "  Presbyterian  church  of  New 
Rochelle,  formerly  known  by  the  name  of  the  French  church."  In  the  early 
part  of  the  century  the  work  languished,  but  in  1846  took  a  new  start  and 
from  that  time  the  success  of  the  church  has  been  assured. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  the  church  over  which  Mr.  Waller  was 
called  to  preside  in  1882.  During  his  ministry  it  has  been  in  a  most  pros- 
perous and  flourishing  condition.  Its  membership  has  been  increased  to  four 
hundred,  and  its  field  of  usefulness  has  been  greatly  extended.  In  1891  they 
dismissed  thirty-nine  members  to  organize  the  Second  Presbyterian  church, 
which  had  developed  from  a  mission,  which  they  had  for  some  time  con- 
ducted, known  as  the  North  street  chapel.  The  First  Presbyterian  is  now 
one  of  the  strongest  churches  in  the  suburban  presbytery  of  Westchester. 
Many  of  its  members  are  New  York  business  men,  and  their  gifts,  tastes  and 
standards  are  those  of  a  city  church. 

That  Mr.  Waller  has  been  their  pastor  sixteen  years  is  evidence  of  his 
substantial  ability  as  preacher  and  pastor.  At  this  point  it  would  be  almost 
a  redundancy  to  enter  into  any  series  of  statements  as  showing  our  subject 
to  be  a  man  of  broad  intelligence  and  genuine  public  spirit,  for  these  have 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  607 

teen  shadowed  forth  between  the  lines  of  this  review.  Strong  in  his  indi- 
viduality, he  never  lacks  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  but  there  are,  as 
dominating  elements  in  this  individuality,  a  lively  human  sympathy  and  an 
abiding  charity,  which,  as  taken  in  connection  with  the  sterling  integrity  and 
honor  of  his  character,  have  naturally  gained  to  Mr.  Waller  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  men  of  all  denominations. 


MINOT  CROFOOT  KELLOGG. 

The  career  of  him  whose  name  heads  this  review  illustrates  most  forci- 
bly the  possibilities  that  are  open  to  a  young  man  who  possesses  sterling 
business  qualifications.  It  proves  that  neither  wealth  nor  social  position  nor 
the  assistance  of  influential  friends  is  necessary  to  place  him  on  the  road  to 
success.  It  also  proves  that  ambition,  perseverance,  steadfast  purpose  and 
indefatigable  industry,  combined  with  sound  business  principles,  will  be 
rewarded,  and  that  true  s'^ccess  follows  individual  effort  only.  Mr.  Kellogg 
has  gained  recognition  and  prestige  as  one  of  the  influential  and  representa- 
tive business  men  residing  in  Mount  Vernon,  New  York,  and  is  to-day  vice- 
president  of  the  Patterson  Brothers  Company  of  New  York  city. 

He  was  born  in  New  Canaan,  Connecticut,  December  17,  1834,  a  son  of 
Matthew  and  Electa  (Crofoot)  Kellogg.  He  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  Dan- 
iel Kellogg,  who  was  born  in  1638,  and  was  an  early  settler  of  Norwalk,  Con- 
necticut, where  he  served  as  selectman  in  1670  and  died  in  1713.  He  had 
a  son,  Samuel  Kellogg,  born  in  1673,  and  the  line  continues  through  the  lat- 
ter's  son,  Gideon  Kellogg,  born  in  171 7.  Isaac  Kellogg,  son  of  Gideon  and 
grandfather  of  Minot  C.  Kellogg,  rendered  able  service  to  the  cause  of  Ameri- 
can independence  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  his  name  appears 
upon  the  pension  rolls.  Matthew  Kellogg,  the  father,  who  was  born  Septem- 
ber 22,  1782,  was  a  prosperous  farmer  of  New  Canaan,  Connecticut,  and 
lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years. 

Upon  the  homestead  farm  Minot  Crofoot  Kellogg  was  reared  to  man- 
hood, acquiring  such  an  education  as  was  then  afforded  by  the  town  schools. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  went  to  New  York  city,  where  he  entered  the 
employ  of  Patterson  Brothers,  hardware  dealers,  commencing  as  office-boy 
and  working  his  way  forward,  step  by  step,  to  the  position  of  senior  clerk, 
and  at  length  to  an  equal  partnership  in  the  business.  In  1884  the  concern 
was  incorporated  under  its  present  style  and  he  was  elected  its  vice-president. 
He  is  president  of  the  Co-operative  Building  Bank,  of  New  York,  a  position 
formerly  occupied  by  the  late  Hon.  James  W.  Wyatt,  of  Norwalk,  and 
among  its  directors  are  several  prominent  Connecticut  men,  including  ex-Gov- 
ernor Lounsbury,  and  the  present  lieutenant-governor  of  New  York,  Hon 


608  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Timothy  L.  Woodruff.  Mr.  Kellogg  is  also  vice-president  of  the  Banli  of 
Mount  Vernon  (New  York),  a  director  of  the  East  Chester  Savings  Bank  and 
of  various  other  institutions,  is  one  of  the  managers  of  the  Mount  Vernon 
Hospital  and  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  First  Methodist  church 
at  that  place.  His  business  interests  necessitated  his  removal  from  Con- 
necticut in  1874,  and  since  that  year  he  has  resided  in  Mount  Vernon,  New 
York.  The  moral  and  religious  institutions  of  the  community  in  which  he 
lives  have  in  him  an  earnest  and  a  liberal  supporter,  and  the  only  organiza- 
tion in  the  metropolis  with  which  he  is  said  to  affiliate  is  the  Hardware  Club. 
He  never  acts  except  from  honest  motives,  and  in  all  his  varied  relations  in 
business  affairs  and  in  social  life  he  has  maintained  a  character  and  standing 
that  has  impressed  all  with  his  sincere  and  manly  purpose  to  treat  others  as- 
he  would  have  others  treat  him.      Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  1863,  Mr.  Kellogg  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Emily  E.,  daughter  of  Charles  E.  and  Abigail  Ann  Disbrow,  of 
Norwalk,  Connecticut,  and  to  them  were  born  two  sons  and  two  daughters, 
of  whom  the  latter  survive:  Mildred  C. ,  the  older,  married  Samuel  W. 
Bertine,  October  24,  1893,  and  has  one  son,  Edwin  Wilbur,  born  August  i^ 
1897.  The  younger  daughter,  Cora  L. ,  is  now  attending  the  Mount  Vernon 
high  school.  The  wife  and  mother  died  February  8,  1889,  and  on  January 
7,  1 891,  Mr.  Kellogg  wedded  Miss  Mary  L.  Tallmadge,  daughter  of  the  late 
William  H.  Tallmadge,  of  New  Canaan,  Connecticut.  The  family  is  very 
prominent  socially. 

JOHN  H.  BRETT. 

That  class  of  citizens  in  whom  utilitarian  America  takes  the  most  pride 
comprises  the  representative  business  men  who  are  still  carrying  out  all  the 
oldest  maxims  of  industry,  perseverance  and  integrity.  Such  a  man  is  Mr. 
Brett,  who  has  humbly  and  faithfully  added  his  share  to  the  prosperity  of 
the  country  and  earned  for  himself  a  good  name.  "Although  no  sculptured 
marble  may  arise  to  his  memory,  nor  engraved  stone  bear  record  of  his  deeds, 
as  to  many  unworthy  kings  and  potentates,  yet  will  a  remembrance  of  him 
last  as  long  as  the  land  he  honors." 

The  name  "Brett"  is  of  German  origin;  but  the  immigrant  ancestor  of 
our  subject,  his  grandfather,  Patrick  Brett,  came  from  Tipperary,  Ireland,  in 
1850,  locating  at  Albany,  New  York,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1872, 
prior  to  which  event  he  had  been  retired  from  active  business  for  many  years. 
James  Brett,  the  father  of  John,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  a  truckman  by  occu- 
pation, emigrated  to  America,  landing  at  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  in  1848, 
soon  afterward  moved  to  Albany,  New  York,  where  he  resided  until  185 1,  when 
he  came  to  Mount  Vernon,  and  here  he  engaged  in  trucking  and  teaming  until 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  609 

his  death  in  1872.  He  was  an  exemplary  citizen,  a  Democrat  in  his  poHtical 
faith,  and  in  his  rehgious  faith  an  intelligent  member  of  the  Catholic  church. 
He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  local  church  (St.  Matthew's)  in  Mount 
Vernon,  and  he  built  the  first  church  edifice  for  their  worship.  He  married 
Ann  Harrington,  and  had  the  following  named  children:  Patrick,  deceased; 
John  H.,  our  subject;  Catherine;  Patrick  W.,  Mary  and  James.  The  mother 
of  these  children  departed  this  life  in  December,  1876,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
one  years. 

Mr.  John  H.  Brett,  whose  name  honors  the  introduction  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  August  4,  1854,  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  left  school  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  years  to  assist  his  father  in  business,  and  thus  remained  with  him  to 
the  time  of  his  death:  he  was  then  eighteen  years  of  age.  Selling  the  teams 
they  had  been  using  in  their  business,  he  became  associated  with  Reynolds 
Brothers  in  the  grain  and  feed  business,  and  remained  with  them  two  years; 
next  he  was  employed  by  Burr  Davis'  &  Son  in  the  livery  business  for  five 
years;  and  finally,  in  1892,  he  engaged  in  the  grain  business  on  his  own 
account,  at  Mount  Vernon,  in  which  he  has  since  continued,  with  the  success 
that  is  due  industry  and  integrity.  His  place  of  business  is  at  5  and  7  Pros- 
pect avenue. 

Besides  the  daily  routine  of  the  work-a-day  life  by  which  he  earns  his 
livelihood,  he  takes  an  interest  in  other  business  enterprises  and  in  social, 
religious  and  public  affairs,  being  a  director  in  the  Mount  Vernon  Steamboat 
Company,  running  boats  between  New  York  city  and  Mount  Vernon;  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  trade;  formerly  a  member  of  the  Nogan  Hose  Company 
for  eight  years;  a  member  of  the  order  of  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Malta, 
Ancient  Order  of  Foresters,  Exempt  Firemen's  Association,  the  Catholic 
Benevolent  Legion,  Society  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  (charitable  institution),  of 
the  Mount  Vernon  City  Club,  Mount  Vernon  Gun  Club  and  of  the  Turn- 
verein  (a  singing  society).  In  politics  he  is  a  leading  and  active  Democrat, 
and  for  a  long  time  has  served  as  the  receiver  of  taxes  for  the  city  of  Mount 
Vernon. 

Early  in  the  year  1884  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret 
Delaney,  of  Fordham,  New  York. 


ROBERT  F.    WHITE. 


Robert  F.  White  is  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Purdy  Station,  where 
he  conducts  a  livery  and  store.  He  was  born  in  Penryn,  Cornwall,  England, 
December  8,  1850,  and  is  the  son  of  William  Henry  and  Emma  (Elliott) 
White.  His  father  went  to  Australia  in  1854,  where  he  died.  He  was  a 
mason  and  builder  of  skill.     The  wife  and  mother  is  now  in  her  eighty-first 


39 


610  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

year  and  still  resides  in  the  home  of  her  birth,  Cornwall.  She  has  had  six 
children,  viz.:  Daniel,  of  England;  Reverend  John,  of  Arvada,  Colorado; 
Mary,  wife  of  Joseph  Stephens,  of  Devonshire,  England;  Emma  E.,  at 
home  with  her  mother;  and  Robert  F. ,  our  subject.  The  oldest  son,  William 
H.,  is  deceased. 

Robert  F.  White  graduated  at  the  Wesleyan  high  school,  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty  had  also  graduated  at  the  Polytechnic  School  of  Cornwall,  as 
engineer.  He  soon  afterward  came  to  this  country  and  entered  the  employ 
of  John  Roach,  the  famous  shipbuilder  of  Philadelphia.  Later  he  aban- 
doned this  work  to  take  up  the  work  of  the  ministry,  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal chutch,  preaching  in  Greene  and  Schoharie  counties,  and  for  two  years 
in  Westchester  county.  In  1884  he  located  in  Purdy  Station  in  his  present 
business,  which  is  prospering  even  beyond  his  expectations. 

In  1877  he  was  joined  in  matrimony  to  Miss  Lola  Josephine  Smith,  a 
teacher  from  Charlotteville,  Schoharie  county,  this  state,  and  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Smith.  They  have  five  children:  Anna,  a  highly  successful  and  pop- 
ular teacher;  Emma  Lola,  Robert  Henry,  George  Furneaux  and  Harrold 
Leslie.  Mr.  White  has  given  invaluable  aid  to  the  Republicans  of  this 
county,  "stumping  "  a  portion  of  the  state  for  Harrison  and  also  for  Gov- 
ernor Morton.  The  issue  discussed  by  him  principally  was  the  tariff,  upon 
which  he  is  exceptionally  well  informed.  He  is  a  pleasant  and  forceful 
speaker,  bringing  his  audience  into  irresistible  sympathy  with  the  speaker, 
and  he  is  always  sure  of  an  appreciative  hearing.  He  is  now  serving  his 
third  term  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  has  been  on  the  school  board  eight 
years.  He  has  made  two  trips  back  to  the  mother  country, — the  first  in 
1884,  and  again  in  1891.  He  is  of  a  social  disposition  and  has  gathered  a 
large  fund  of  pithy  anecdotes  which  serve  him  a  good  purpose  in  election- 
eering. 

SIVORI  SELLECK. 

Sivori  Selleck,  one  of  the  old  and  respected  citizens  of  Pound  Ridge 
township,  Westchester  county,  was  born  in  this  locality  May  25,  1855.  His 
father,  Sands  Selleck,  was  born  in  this  county  May  16,  1816,  and  died  Sep- 
tember 8,  1897.  In  addition  to  farming  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  baskets,  and  stood  foremost  in  that  line  of  industry  in  this 
portion  of  the  state  at  that  time.  He  was  very  active  in  the  Republican  party, 
and  for  a  number  of  terms  was  a  selectman  of  his  township.  Both  he  and 
his  estimable  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  The 
latter,  whose  maiden  name  was  Betsey  E.  Austin,  and  who  survives  her  hus- 
band, was  born  in  1822. 

Thomas  Selleck,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  narra- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  611 

live,  was  born  in  this  county,  and  owned  an  extensive  tract  of  land  in  Pound 
Ridge  township,  this  property  having  been  in  the  family  for  several  genera- 
tions, handed  down  from  father  to  son.  A  portion  of  the  estate — fifty  acres — 
is  comprised  within  the  sixty-two-acre  farm  now  owned  by  Sivori  Selleck. 
Thomas  Selleck  was  a  stone-mason  and  contractor,  and  among  other  public 
works  constructed  by  him,  which  at  the  time  were  considered  very  important 
and  splendid  specimens  of  skill  and  engineering,  was  the  Holly's  Pond  dam, 
in  Stamford,  Connecticut.  He  was  a  stanch  Republican,  and  was  an  influ- 
ential member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  His  wife,  whose  name 
before  their  marriage  was  Esther  Jeames,  was  a  native  of  the  county,  her 
birth  having  occurred  near  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  river. 

Sivori  Selleck  is  oije  of  eight  children,  the  others  being  as  follows:  George 
B.,  who  enlisted  in  the  Thirteenth  Connecticut  Volunteer  Infantry  in  the 
civil  war  and  died  in  1862,  in  New  Orleans,  when  but  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  from  fever  contracted  in  the  service;  Ann  Eliza,  wife  of  Levi  Brush,  of 
New  Canaan,  Connecticut;  Adeline,  wife  of  Loomis  Schofield,  of  Pound 
Ridge  township;  Emma  G. ,  Mrs.  Charles  Brown,  of  New  Canaan;  Titus  S., 
a  mechanic  and  resident  of  this  township;  Hannah  E. ,  Mrs.  John  B.  Weed, 
■of  New  Canaan;  Sands,  Jr.,  residing  at  Pound  Ridge,  this  county;  and 
Francis  S.,  a  grocer  of  New  Canaan. 

When  he  had  grown  to  manhood  the  subject  of  this  article  went  to  Ada, 
■Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  business  for  about  one  year,  after  which  he 
returned  to  his  native  county  and  purchased  a  tract  of  thirty  acres  in  this 
township.  He  dealt  in  ship  timber  in  connection  with  his  farming  opera- 
tions for  some  three  years.  Then  selling  out,  he  went  to  Stamford,  Con- 
necticut, where  he  made  his  home  for  some  three  years.  In  1886  he  came 
back  to  the  old  homestead  here,  of  which  he  became  the  owner  by  purchase. 
He  now  is  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father,  cultivating  the  farm 
and  manufacturing  baskets  for  the  use  of  dealers  in  New  York  city. 
His  business  in  this  line  is  a  paying  one  and  employment  is  afforded  several 
hands. 

From  his  early  manhood  he  has  been  active  in  the  ranks  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  has  officiated  in  various  minor  positions  of  local  importance. 
He  was  excise  commissioner  for  six  years;  for  three  consecutive  terms  has 
been  commissioner  of  highways  and  is  now  serving  as  secretary  and  treasurer 
•of  the  board.  In  1897  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Scott's  Corners,  and 
is  still  acting  in  that  capacity.  At  numerous  conventions  of  his  party  he  has 
been  present  as  a  delegate,  and  at  all  times  he  has  been  an  interested  fac- 
tor in  the  success  of  the  same.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows society,  belonging  to  Wooster  Lodge,  No.  37,  of  New  Canaan,  Connect- 
icut.     He  is  also  associated    with  Commodore  Perry  Council,  No.  44,  O.  U. 


612  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

A.  M.;  Oenoke  Tent,  K.  O.  T.  M. ;  Olive  Branch  Council,  No.  8,  Daughters 
of  Liberty,  of  New  Canaan;  and  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  He  has  always 
been  an  interested  worker  in  the  cause  of  total  abstinence  from  intoxicating 
liquor  and  tobacco. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  Scott's  Corners, 
being  a  steward  and  trustee  and  having  been  district  steward  of  the  district 
including  Pound  Ridge  township.  For  a  long  time  he  has  been  an  influential 
worker  in  the  Sunday-school  cause  and  is  now  the  superintendent  of  the 
school  which  is  carried  on  in  connection  with  his  home  church.  His  wife 
and  daughter,  also,  are  great  workers  in  the  church  and  Sunday-school, 
and  the  latter,  Miss  Lula  B.,  who  has  a  special  talent  for  music,  presides 
at  the  organ.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  Selleck  and  Miss  Sarah  Macdonald, 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Warren)  Macdonald,  was  solemnized  October 
9,  1889.  Mrs.  Selleck  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  March  i,  1862,  and 
by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  two  children — Lulu  B.  and 
George  Thomas. 

FRANK  J.  HOLLER. 

Frank  J.  Holler,  a  popular  and  successful  citizen  of  New  Rochelle,  is  a 
son  of  Lawrence  and  Louisa  (Mangis)  Holler,  and  was  born  in  New  Rochelle, 
June  17,  1872.  He  was  graduated  from  the  public  schools,  and,  after  a 
thorough  commercial  course  at  Packard's  Business  College,  entered  a  large 
wholesale  house  in  New  York  city  as  bookkeeper.  He  made  good  progress 
in  the  concern  and  severed  his  relations  with  it  only  when,  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen, he  was  called  home  to  assume  charge  of  his  fathers  business,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  latter  illness.  He  gradually  took  into  his  hands  the  entire  man- 
agement of  this  important  enterprise  and  has  'developed  it  far  beyond  the 
expectations  of  its  founder.  It  is  an  ice  business  and  was  established  by  the 
elder  Holler  in  1858.  The  firm  owns  its  plant,  which  is  complete  in  every 
respect,  fully  equipped  in  every  way  and  equal  to  the  demands  of  its  growing 
business.  The  capacity  has  been  increased  from  time  to  time,  and  its  present 
manager  has  added  to  it  materially  by  the  purchase  of  new  property.  Mr. 
Holler's  success  is  the  result  largely  of  his  own  personal  influence.  He  is  a 
genial  and  friendly  man  who  is  welcomed  everywhere,  and  this  is  reinforced 
by  a  capacity  for  affairs  which  would  bring  success  to  any  project  to  which  it 
might  be  devoted. 

Mr.  Holler  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  and  wields  a  strong  influence  in 
municipal  affairs.  As  a  heavy  taxpayer,  he  is  naturally  interested  in  the 
economical  and  honorable  administration  of  all  public  offices.  He  has 
served  his  fellow-citizens  as  inspector  of  elections,  was  elected  auditor  of 
New  Rochelle  by  a  majority  of   550  out  of  1,296  votes,  was  triumphantly 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  613 

elected  alderman  to  represent  the  third  ward,  was  delegate  to  the  county 
convention  of  his  party  in  1896,  and  has  been  otherwise  prominent  in  the 
management  of  the  business  of  the  city.  So  well  and  faithfully  has  he  dis- 
charged every  duty  to  the  public,  that  he  is  uniformly  regarded  as  a  model 
official.  He  has  never  sought  office,  and  has  never  accepted  it,  except  when 
convinced  that  the  interests  of  the  community  demanded  such  a  concession 
on  his  part.  He  was  secretary  of  the  Democratic  county  committee  for  three 
years,  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  Club,  and  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus, 
and  was  formerly  a  member  of  Huguenot  Engine  Company.  He  has  been 
a  lifelong  member  of  St.  Gabriel's  Catholic  church.  Toward  every  organi- 
sation with  which  he  has  been  connected,  he  has  always  exercised  a  spirit  of 
helpfulness  that  has  been  more  than  liberal. 

Lawrence  Holler  came,  when  six  years  old,  from  Germany  with  his 
father  and  mother  and  the  balance  of  their  family,  and  located  at  New  York, 
where  the  family  resided  for  eight  years,  and  in  1846  came  to  New  Rochelle, 
where  Lawrence  Holler,  Sr. ,  acquired  considerable  real  estate,  and  the  family 
had  a  home  in  a  substantial  stone  residence.  This  property  descended  in 
part  to  Lawrence  Holler,  Jr.,  father  of  Frank  J.  Holler,  and  he  has  sold  off 
tracts  of  it  as  occasion  has  brought  him  opportunities  for  profitable  trans- 
actions. He  has  always  taken  an  interest  in  local  matters,  was  commis- 
sioner of  highways,  and  has  held  other  offices.  He  is  an  exempt  member  of 
Huguenot  Engine  Company,  and  has  always  been  an  influential  Democrat 
and  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  On  May  29,  1867,  he  mar- 
ried Louisa  Mangis,  a  daughter  of  Melchor  and  Anna  Elizabeth  (Witterman) 
Mangis,  and  she  bore  him  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  a,s  follows:  Law- 
rence, who  died  aged  one  year;  Catharine  E.,  who  died  July  2,  1884;  Henry, 
and  Amelia  were  twins,  born  March  10,  1871,  and  the  former  died  July  17, 
1871,  and  the  latter  died  August  2,  1871;  Frank  J.,  our  subject;  Maria  Wil- 
helmina;   and  Anna  Frances. 

Three  of  Frank  J.  Holler's  grandparents  died  at  the  age  of  eighty,  and 
his  paternal  grandfather  at  the  age  of  ninety-one. 


ELIAS  BRYANT. 


This  honored  veteran  of  the  civil  war  and  one  of  the  most  popular  men 
of  Mount  Pleasant  township,  Westchester  county,  was  born  on  the  12th  of 
April,  1837,  in  Morris  county.  New  Jersey,  and  is  a  worthy  representative  of 
a  good  old  family  of  that  stq.te.  His  ancestors  are  supposed  to  have  come  to 
this  country  from  Holland,  and  the  family  name  was  originally  Brount.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Elias  Bryant,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  was  an 
expert  blacksmith.      He  married  a  Miss  Corwin,  and  both  died  in  that  state. 


614  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Elias  Bryant,  Jr.,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  in  1800,  in  New  Jersey, 
and  throughout  Hfe  followed  the  stone  and  brick  mason's  trade.  He  married 
Miss  Electa  Meeker,  a  native  of  Morris  county,  and  a  representative  of  two 
of  the  honored  old  families  of  that  state, — the  Meekers  and  Skinners, — eight- 
een of  their  members  being  soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Fannie 
Meeker,  an  aunt  of  our  subject,  is  still  living,  aged  ninety-four  years.  The 
children  born  to  Elias  and  Electa  Bryant  were  Isaac,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years;  Jacob,  a  resident  of  Scranton,  Pennsylvania;  Phoebe,  wife  of 
Lewis  Sturges,  of  Tarrytown,  New  York;  Amada  B.,  of  Tarrytown;  Eveline, 
deceased  wife  of  James  L.  Minnerly;  and  Elias,  our  subject.  The  mother 
died  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years,  and  the  father  was  again  married,  having 
by  the  second  union  two  children:  Van  Cleave  D.,  deceased;  and  Frederick, 
a  resident  of  West  Virginia.  The  father  was  called  to  his  final  rest  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one  years.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  a  Presbyterian 
in  religious  faith. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  state, 
where  he  remained  until  coming  to  Tarrytown,  Westchester  county,  in  1857. 
Here  he  worked  at  the  painter's  trade  until  his  enlistment  in  the  Union  army. 
On  the  7th  of  January,  1 864,  he  joined  the  Seventh  New  York  Heavy  Artillery, 
and  with  Grant's  command  participated  in  the  battles  of  Spottsylvania,  the 
Wilderness,  Cold  Harbor  and  Petersburg.  He  was  wounded  in  the  left  leg 
by  a  gunshot  and  gangrene  set  in,  necessitating  the  use  of  crutches  for  eleven 
months,  and  for  nine  months  was  confined  in  a  hospital  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
being  honorably  discharged  April  13,  1865.  He  was  at  Ford's  theater  on  the 
night  of  President  Lincoln's  assassination  and  witnessed  the  shooting  by 
Wilkes  Booth. 

On  his  return  home  Mr.  Bryant  resumed  work  at  his  trade,  and  was 
also  engaged  in  the  insurance  business  for  several  years  in  connection  with 
farming.  In  1867  he  located  upon  his  present  farm,  known  as  Maple  Shade, 
where  he  has  a  most  beautiful  rural  home,  the  culture  and  artistic  taste  of  its 
occupants  being  reflected  in  its  appointments,  while  a  gracious  hospitality 
adds  a  charm  to  its  material  comforts.  It  is  conveniently  located  only  three 
miles  from  Tarrytown  and  one  mile  from  Pocantico  Hills. 

In  1867  Mr.  Bryant  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Ryder, 
a  daughter  of  David  and  Julia  (Van  Cortland)  Ryder.  They  have  one  son, 
W.  Irving,  who  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Westchester  county,  and 
married  Miss  Margaret  Reeves,  a  native  of  Tarrytown,  and  a  daughter  of 
Rev.  Reeves,  who  was  a  chaplain  in  the  Confederate  service  during  the  civil 
war.  They  have  one  child,  a  son,  born  January  15,  1899.  In  his  political 
affiliations  Mr.  Bryant  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  has  been  honored  with  several 
local  offices,  including  those  of  commissioner  and  collector.      He  is  a  pleasant, 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  615 

genial  gentleman,  who  makes  many  friends,   and  is  an  honored  member  of 
Ward  B.  Burnett  Post,  No.  496,  G.  A.  R. 

The  old  home  where  they  are  now  living  was  confiscated  during  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  after  that  was  bought  by  a  Mr.  Forshay,  who 
divided  it  between  his  sons.  Schuyler  Forshay  was  one  of  these.  Major 
Andre  passed  the  old  home  just  before  he  was  captured. 


FRANCIS  J.  STEVENS. 

Mr.  Stevens  is  a  wide-awake,  energetic  business  man,  the  present  pro- 
prietor of  the  Boutonville  Mills,  and  also  owns  and  manages  the  old  Stevens 
homestead,  on  which  he  was  born,  November  13,  1858.  His  father,  John 
D.  Stevens,  and  his  grandfather,  who  also  bore  the  name  of  John,  were 
both  millers,  and  in  following  their  chosen  calling  met  with  a  fair  degree  of 
success.  The  latter  married  Miss  Polly  Delavan,  who  was  of  French 
descent,  and  both  died  in  Westchester  county.  Here  John  D.  Stevens  grew 
to  manhood  and  learned  the  miller's  trade  of  his  father.  He  was  twice 
married,  his  first  wife  being  by  maiden  name  Harriet  Scofield,  by  which 
union  there  was  one  daughter,  now  Mrs.  Harriet  Mead,  of  Connecticut. 
His  second  union  was  with  Miss  Frances  Scofield,  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Scofield,  and  she  died  during  the  infancy  of  our  subject.  The  father,  who 
was  always  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Democracy,  departed  this  life  October 
13.  1895,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  During  his  boyhood  and  youth 
Francis  J.  Stevens  remained  at  home  and  early  became  familiar  with  the 
milling  business  by  aiding  his  father;  and  after  the  death  of  the  latter  he 
took  charge  of  the  mill,  which  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county.  He  also 
came  into  possession  of  the  old  homestead,  a  valuable  and  well  improved 
farm,  which  he  is  now  successfully  managing  in  connection  with  the  mill. 
His  management  of  the  estate  is  marked  by  the  scientific  knowledge  and 
skill  which  characterize  the  modern  business  man. 

In  1884  Mr.  Stevens  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  P.  Grurn- 
mond,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Angeline  (Westcott)  Grummond,  and  one 
child  blesses  this  union,  Emma  M.,  who  was  born  February  26,  1892.  Mrs. 
Stevens  was  born  on  the  old  Grummond  homestead  near  Lake  Wacabuc  and 
near  the  north  and  south  line  of  Salem  township.  Her  ancestry  came  to  this 
county  many  years  ago.  Her  grandfather,  Samuel  Grummond,  Sr. ,  carried 
on  business  here  for  a  number  of  years.  He  married  Bethenia  Denton,  of 
Greenwich,  Connecticut.  Her  father  died  in  1894,  and  her  mother  is  still 
living,  now  seventy-five  years  of  age,  at  Lewisboro.  They  had  three  chil- 
dren: Mary,  Mrs.  Alfred  Hawley,  deceased,  of  Salem  Center;  Bethenia,  wife 
of  George  Silkman,  of  Cross  River;  and  Mrs.  Stevens,  the  youngest.     In  poll- 


616  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

tics  her  father  was  a  Republican,  and  by  occupation  a  stone-mason.  In  1835 
Samuel  Grummond  carried  on  a  large  business  at  the  foot  of  Long  Pond 
mountain,  on  the  south  side,  on  the  road  leading  from  South  Salem  meeting- 
house to  North  Salem.     Mr.  Grummond  died  in  1834. 

Mr.  Stevens,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  served  as  overseer  of  Pound 
Ridge  township  for  five  years,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  useful 
citizens  of  the  community.  His  father  also  took  a  prominent  part  in  public 
affairs,  serving  as  postmaster  of  Boutonville  for  several  years  and  as  com- 
missioner for  some  time.  He  was  rather  a  large  man,  weighing  one  hundred 
and  eighty  pounds,  and  was  a  genial,  pleasant  gentleman,  who  made  many 
friends. 

JAMES  A.    HUNTINGTON. 

James  Arthur  Huntington,  a  prominent  young  business  man  of  New 
Rochelle,  is  a  son. of  James  P.  and  Mary  E.  (Hudson)  Huntington  and  was 
born  at  New  Rochelle,  November  2,  1868.  The  family  of  Huntington  is  of 
English  origin. 

Mr.  Huntington's  paternal  grandfather,  James  Pitcher  Huntington,  a 
native  of  New  Rochelle,  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  a  man  of  wealth 
and  influence,  who  served  his  country  in  the  war  of  18 12-14,  was  a  justice 
of  the  peace  continuously  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  years,  and  whose  old 
homestead,  on  the  Boston  turnpike  at  the  intersection  of  Main  street,  was 
one  of  the  best  known  places  round  about  New  Rochelle.  He  had  children 
named:  Jane,  Ann,  Mary,  Grace,  Thomas,  Isaac,  Lawrence  D.  and  James  P. 

Lawrence  D,  Huntington  lives  on  his  father's  place,  where  these  children 
were  born,  and  is  a  well  known  broker,  operating  in  Wall  street.  New  York 
city.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  state  assembly,  was  three  times  elected 
president  of  the  village  of  New  Rochelle  (1866-7,  1873-4,  1 889-90),  was 
president  of  the  New  York  State  Fish  Commission  and  is  in  a  general  way 
active  in  public  and  political  affairs. 

James  P.  Huntington,  father  of  James  Arthur  Huntington,  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  New  Rochelle  and  while  yet  young  learned  the  trade 
of  wheelwright,  for  he  inclined  to  mechanical  rather  than  mercantile  pur- 
suits, and  wheelwrights  almost  invariably  did  well  in  those  days,  before  cheap 
factory  wagons  and  carriages  had  been  introduced.  He  went  to  California,— 
was  a  real  "Forty-niner,"  for  it  was  in  1849  that  he  went,— but  did  not 
remain  long.  Returning  east,  he  located  at  Tarrytown,  but  thirty  years  ago 
came  back  to  New  Rochelle.  He  was  the  owner  of  two  sloops  which  did 
quite  a  business  in  a  local  way  between  Harlem  and  New  Rochelle  until  sup- 
planted by  the  superior  transportation  facilities  of  the  era  of  railroads,  and 
he  became  popularly   known  as   "Captain"   Huntington.      This  later  enter- 


yT^u^^^t^t^^^---^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  617 

prise  absorbed  his  energies  for  ten  or  twelve  years  and  it  was  quite  a  success. 
He  took  an  interest  in  the  village  fire  department  and  became  an  exempt 
member  of  Enterprise  Hook  and  Ladder  Company.  He  married  Mary  E. 
Hudson;  their  children  were  as  follows:  Thomas,  Jennie  (Mrs.  Alonzo 
Guest),  Grace  and  John  (deceased),  James  Arthur  and  Mary  E. 

James  Arthur  Huntington  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  New 
Rochelle  and  was  duly  graduated  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  He  immediately 
entered  the  service  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Bank,  of  New  York  city,  and  was  for 
six  years  one  of  its  clerks  and  rose  to  the  position  of  ladies'  receiving  teller. 
He  was  offered  and  accepted  the  position  of  teller  of  the  Bank  of  New 
Rochelle  and  has  held  it  for  eight  years. 

He  takes  an  intelligent  and  practically  helpful  interest  in  all  public  affairs 
and  is  an  active  politician  of  pronounced  Democratic  proclivities.  In  1898 
he  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  village  trustee  by  his  own  party  and 
endorsed  by  the  Republicans,  and  was  elected  by  the  united  vote  of  the  two 
parties,  which  was  an  unequivocal  tribute  to  his  personal  popularity.  In 
1899  he  was  nominated  treasurer  of  New  Rochelle  and  elected  by  a  majority 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty-three,  running  considerably  ahead  of  his  ticket.  He 
is  a  member  of  numerous  popular  societies  and  organizations,  including  the 
Royal  Arcanum  and  the  New  Rochelle  Rowing  Club.  He  has  been  active  in 
a  business  way  in  several  directions  and  always  usefully  and  successfully. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  is  a  director  of  the  New  Rochelle  Savings 
&  Investment  Association.  He  has  been  a  delegate  to  a  number  of  political 
and  other  conventions,  and  his  influence  has  always  been  potent  for  the 
enhancement  of  the  best  interests  of  New  Rochelle. 

November  14,  1894,  James  A.  Huntington  married  Miss  Carrie  Theo- 
dora Pine,  daughter  of  Theodore  Pine,  and  they  have  two  sons,  James  Ken- 
neth and  Willard  Davenport.  Theodore  Pine  was  clerk  of  New  Rochelle  in 
1866-8,  and  was  register  of  Westchester  county  several  terms,  being  a  promi- 
nent Democrat.  He  died  some  years  since,  sincerely  regretted  by  a  large 
circle  of  acquaintances,  leaving  two  daughters  and  a  son.  His  father,  John 
Pine,  was  also  active  politically  in  his  day,  and  was  a  trustee  of  the  village 
of  New  Rochelle  and  served  the  public  ably  and  faithfully  in  other  official 
positions. 

ALBERT  S.   JENKS. 

One  of  the  prominent  builders  of  the  city  of  Mount  Vernon,  in  every 
sense  of  the  word,  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  honors  the  caption  of  this 
article.  He  was  born  in  New  York  city,  in  1859,  a  son  of  Andrew  M.  and 
Sarah  A.  (Kellam)  Jenks.  (The  name  "  Jenks  "  is  of  Knickerbocker  Dutch 
origin.)     His  paternal  grandfather  and  other  early  ancestors  were  natives  of 


618  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

New  England.  His  father  was  born  in  Armenia,  New  York,  about  1827,. 
received  a  common-school  education,  and  was  a  carpenter  and  builder  by 
occupation,  erecting  many  buildings  of  his  own,  for  speculation,  as  well  as 
for  others.  At  first  he  was  in  business  in  the  south,  and  came  to  Dutchess 
county,  this  state,  and  in  1882  to  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  still  resides  and 
where  he  has  been  engaged  in  contracting  until  recently. 

In  public  affairs  he  has  a  wide  influence,  being  an  enthusiastic  Democrat 
and  an  efficient  worker  for  the  advancement  of  the  principles  of  his  party. 
He  has  had  nine  children,  as  follows:  Andrew  M.,  Jr.,  Francis,  Albert  S. 
(subject  of  this  sketch),  Julia  P.  Holmes,  deceased,  Sarah  A.  Harrocks,  Alvira 
Blair  (widow),  MoUie,  Etta  Hinkelbein,  and  Alonzo,  who  is  deceased.  Both 
the  parents  are  still  living,  the  father  at  the  age  of  seventy- one  years  and  the 
mother  at  the  age  of  sixty-five. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  and  his  mother  were  both  of 
English  birth  and  reared  on  Long  Island.  His  maternal  great-grandfather 
was  from  England,  was  engaged  in  speculative  business  at  Babylon,  on  Long 
Island,  and  made  a  great  deal  of  money,  owned  a  farm  and  much  other  val- 
uable propertj',  raised  considerable  produce  and  was  also  a  produce  commis- 
sion merchant. 

Mr.  Albert  S.  Jenks,  our  subject,  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Hyde  Park,  left  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  remaining  with 
his  father  a  short  time  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  then  worked  as  a  jour- 
neyman for  several  years.  Subsequently  he  was  a  keeper  and  foreman  of 
the  stock-room  in  the  stove-manufacturing  department  of  Perry  &  Company, 
at  Sing  Sing,  New  York,  for  two  years.  Afterward  he  was  engaged  again  at 
his  trade  for  two  years  in  the  south,  and  then  returned  to  Mount  Vernon, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  In  1887  he  became  associated  with  Carl  Will- 
iam Plume,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  forming  the  firm 
of  Jenks  &  Plume,  engaged  in  general  building  and  contracting.  They  have 
in  their  employment  from  thirty-five  to  forty  men  on  an  average, — sometimes 
as  many  as  sixty-five.  In  a  single  year  they  have  done  work  amounting  to  a 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Jenks  is  the  bookkeeper,  financier  and  execu- 
tive manager  of  the  business,  while  Mr.  Plume  is  the  superintending  architect. 
They  also  speculate  to  some  extent  in  real  estate,  buying  lots,  improving 
them,  building  upon  them  and  selling  them,  and  in  this  business  they  have 
been  signally  successful.  They  are  indeed  the  leading  carpenter  contractors 
in  the  city. 

Mr.   Jenks   is   also  a  lover  of  fine  horses,  having  usually  in  his  stables- 
some  of  the  fastest  horses  to  be  seen  on  the  boulevards  of  the  city. 

In  public  affairs  he  is  an  active  and  leading  Democrat.  For  two  years — 
1892-3 — he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  aldermen,  and  in  the  spring  of 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  619' 

1 897  he  was  elected  supervisor,  in  which  position  he  is  at  present  serving,  with 
acceptability.  His  shrewd  insight  into  the  methods  of  human  nature  and 
his  reliability  and  integrity  well  qualify  him  for  the  heaviest  responsibilities 
of  higher  official  station.  He  is  a  member  of  Hiawatha  Lodge,  No.  434,  F. 
&  A.  M. ;  was  president  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Driving  Club  three  years; 
attends  the  Universalist  church,  and  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  old  Eagle 
Fire  Company  at  Hyde  Park. 

December  18,  1891,  he  was  united  in  matrimony  with  Miss  Margaretta 
Cannon,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Cannon,  and  he  has  three  children, — Ger- 
trude, Albert,  Jr.,  and  Floyd. 


WILLIAM   HUMPHREY    SERGEANT. 

This  gentlemen,  one  of  the  live  business  men  of  Mount  Vernon,  was 
born  March  22,  1865,  at  Hull,  Yorkshire,  England,  a  son  of  George  and  Ann 
(Carr)  Sergeant.  Thomas  Sergeant,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Brigg,  Lincolnshire,  was  a  farmer  and  also  a  mason,  taking  con- 
tracts for  building.  He  married  a  lady  whose  parents  were  engaged  in 
theatrical  plays,  and  they  left  her  in  England  on  a  tour  to  the  United  States, 
and  while  thus  separated  from  her  parents  she  was  married.  George  Ser- 
geant, the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  and 
during  his  active  business  life  was  a  mason  and  builder,  taking  contracts  and. 
doing  an  extensive  amount  of  work.  Both  the  parents  are  living,  in  England, 
the  father  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years  and  the  mother  about  sixty-five. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopalian  church.  They  have  had  ten  children, 
namely:  Charles  Thomas,  Arthur  Henry,  George  E.,  deceased,  Betsey  Jane, 
Frederick  J.,  William  H.,  Charlotte  Mary,  Herbert,  deceased,  Ann,  and 
Sarah  Hildred,  also  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Hull, 
and  also  at  a  private  school  there,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  he  left  school 
and  began  to  learn  the  mason's  trade,  of  his  father,  and  followed  it  as  a 
journeyman  for  many  years,  both  in  England  and  in  this  country.  He 
arrived  in  America  June  28,  1883  or  1884,  locating  in  New  York  city,  where 
he  was  employed  at  his  trade  for  six  years.  In  i  ?9i  he  came  to  Mount  Ver- 
non and  continued  to  work  as  a  journeyman  for  a  time,  and  then  engaged  in 
contracting  for  building  on  his  own  account,  in  1895,  in  company  with  his 
brother  Arthur  H.,  under  the  firm  name  of  Sergeant  Brothers,  which  rela- 
tion has  since  been  continued.  The  scope  of  their  business  comprises  all 
kinds  of  building  and  masonry.  Among  the  more  important  structures 
erected  by  them  are:  The  new  city  hall,  known  as  the  Lucas  building,  the: 


,620  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

gas  and  water  buildings,  Lenox  laundry  and  the  electric-light  station,  besides 
a  hundred  smaller  buildings. 

In  his  political  principles  Mr.  Sergeant  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  never 
been  an  office-seeker  or  a  politician. 

He  was  married  October  3,  1895,  to  Miss  Margaret  Sharp,  a  daughter 
of  Robert  Sharp,  and  they  have  three  children, — Winifred  R.,  Marguerite 
I.  and  Jane  Victoria. 

ROBERT  C.  ARCHER. 

Robert  Cromwell  Archer,  of  New  Rochelle,  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Eliza  (Cromwell)  Archer,  and  was  born  in  the  town  of  West  Farms,  July  2, 
1838.  William  Archer,  his  paternal  grandfather,  lived  in  Fordham,  New 
York,  as  did  also  his  brother  Samuel.  His  property  descended  to  his  two 
sons.  The  Archers  formerly  owned  much  land  now  included  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  William  Archer  married  Sarah  Berrien  and  they  had  eight  chil- 
dren: Benjamin,  Eliza  Cromwell,  Catharine  St.  John,  Andrew  D.,  William, 
LaFayette,  Mary  Mapes  and  Rachel  Mapes,  all  of  whom  are  dead.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-six,  and  his  wife  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 

Benjamin  Archer  was  born  in  Fordham  and  began  life  there  as  a  farm- 
er, remaining  thus  engaged  for  a  number  of  years.  The  latter  part  of  his 
life  was  spent  at  Scarsdale,  where  he  had  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres 
of  valuable  land.  He  belonged  to  the  militia,  was  a  member  and  elder  and 
a  liberal  supporter  of  the  Reformed  church  and  was  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
being  in  every  way  an  estimable  and  influential  citizen.  He  married  Eliza 
Cromwell  and  had  eight  children  who  grew  to  maturity  and  one  who  died  in 
infancy,  a  brief  record  concerning  them  being  as  follows:  William  H.,  now 
deceased;  John  Cromwell,  who  is  a  well-to-do  farmer  in  Connecticut;  Susan, 
who  married  James  Strong  and  lives  at  Stamford,  Connecticut;  Robert  Crom- 
well; Benjamin  Harrison,  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Yonkers;  Sarah,  who  did 
not  marry;  Emily,  who  became  the  wife  of  Gilbert  Britt;  Fordham;  and 
Oliver  Cromwell,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  and  a  half  years. 

Robert  Cromwell  Archer  was  educated  at  public  schools  as  chance 
offered,  for  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  devote  much  of  his  time  as  a  boy  to 
work  on  his  father's  farm,  and  he  attended  school  mostly  during  the  winter 
months.  After  his  father's  death  he  continued  farming  and  gave  much  atten- 
tion to  dairying.  In  this  connection  he  had  one  rather  discouraging  experi- 
ence. He  had  seventeen  cows  and  all  of  them  became  ill  with  pleuro- 
pneumonia and  were  killed  by  order  of  the  board  of  health  of  the  state  of 
New  York.  The  loss  to  Mr.  Archer  was  a  heavy  one,  but  he  looked  upon  it 
philosophically  and  set   himself   resolutely  to  the  task  of  repairing  it.     He 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  621 

could  not  continue  dairying,  and   thus  turned  iiis   attention  to  fruit-growing- 
and  market-gardening,  in  which  he  achieved  a  noteworthy  success. 

His  interest  in  the  pubhc  affairs  of  his  town  and  of  New  Rochelle  has 
always  been  great,  and  he  has  been  an  influential  factor  in  shaping  the 
course  of  local  political  events.  He  was  commissioner  of  highways  three 
years,  has  several  times  been  elected  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  education 
and  served  as  its  chairman.  His  own  early  education  he  supplemented  by  a 
thorough  course  of  reading,  but  he  believes  in  systematic  education  and  has 
an  abiding  faith  in  the  public  school  as  the  greatest  of  all  helps  to  civilization 
and  the  advancement  of  the  human  race.  For  fourteen  years  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  vestry  of  St.  John's  church,  Protestant  Episcopal,  and  has 
served  two  years  as  its  junior  warden  and  two  terms  as  its  senior  warden. 
He  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  of  this  church  for  the 
long  period  of  seventeen  years,  for  he  believes  that  secular  education  should 
go  hand-in-hand  with  judicious  religious  instruction,  and  that  a  truly  great 
nation  must  grow  in  greatness  spiritually  as  well  as  intellectually. 

Mr.  Archer  was  married  in  1861  to  Mary  A.  Van  Wart,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Deborah  (Griffin)  Van  Wart,  her  father,  who  is  now  deceased, 
having  been  at  one  time  a  well  known  contractor  of  Westchester  county. 
He  was  a  descendant  of  Isaac  Van  Wart.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Archer  had  four 
children:  Carrie,  who  married  Charles  W.  Francis,  a  successful  grocer  of 
New  Rochelle,  and  has  a  daughter  named  Laura  Naomi;  Laura,  who  lives 
with  her  parents;  Lucy,  of  New  Rochelle;  and  Eliza,  wife  of  Frank  Percy,  a 
leading  milk  dealer  of  New  Rochelle.  John  Van  Wart  was  twice  married, — 
first  to  Debora  Griffin,  mother  of  Mrs.  Archer,  and  after  her  death  to  Julia 
Schofield,  of  Connecticut.  Mr.  Archer's  maternal  grandfather,  Oliver  Crom- 
well, was  born  at  Morrisiana,  New  York,  and  was  a  descendant  of  Oliver 
Cromwell,  of  historic  fame.  He  had  children  named  Oliver,  Richard,  Jere- 
miah, John,  Phcebe,  Mary,  Eliza  and  Robert.  Eliza  was  Mr.  Archer's 
mother. 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  (Van  Wart)  Archer  died  May  22,  1898.  She  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  church,  Wilmot  parish,  at  New  Ro- 
chelle, and  was  esteemed  and  loved  by  all  who  knew  her. 


WILLIAM  LAKE. 


Wilham  Lake,  a  progressive  business  man  of  Yonkers,  was  born  June 
29,  i860,  in  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  and  comes  from  sturdy  old  New 
England  stock.  His  father,  Charles  Lake,  was  born  at  Danbury,  Connecti- 
cut, in  18 1 8,  and  departed  this  life  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  He 
was  a  resident  of  Poughkeepsie  for  many  years,  was  a  painter  by  trade,  and 


^22  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

met  with  success  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
passed  away  in  1885.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely: 
Adson,  Charles,  William,  Pierson  and  Minnie  Ranson.  All  save  Pierson 
are  residents  of  Yonkers  at  the  present  time. 

William  Lake  obtained  a  liberal  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  town,  and  when  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  he  reached  the  goal  of 
his  ambition  at  that  time,  for  he  was  accepted  as  a  cadet  in  the  United 
States  Navy.  September  8,  1877,  he  enlisted  in  the  government  service  and 
entered  upon  the  four  years  of  active  work  which  this  implied.  He  was 
assigned  to  the  Minnesota,  on  which  he  remained  until  the  21st  of  the  follow- 
ing March,  when  he  was  drafted  to  serve  on  the  United  States  dispatch  boat, 
Tallapoosa,  and  visited  all  of  the  navy  yards  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  Later, 
he  was  on  the  Franklin  for  some  time,  at  Norfolk,  Virginia.  The  most 
eventful  part  of  his  life  in  the  navy  was  yet  to  come,  for  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Ticonderoga,  commanded  by  Commodore  Shufeldt,  which  vessel  sailed 
under  instructions  of  the  United  States  commerce  commission  to  visit  many 
of  the  important  ports  and  countries  of  the  world,  particularly  in  Asia,  for 
the  purpose  of  adjusting  numerous  small  complications  then  existing,  and  to 
further  our  commercial  interests  on  distant  shores.  They  sailed  from  Ports- 
mouth, New  Hampshire,  November  20,  1878,  followed  the  coast  of  this 
country  as  far  south  as  Hampton  Roads,  and  then  headed  for  the  western 
shores  of  Africa,  touching  at  Sierra  Leone  and  Saint  Paul  de  Loando,  thence 
going  to  St.  Helena  island,  to  Cape  Town,  past  Madagascar  and  the 
Comoro  islands,  and  stopping  at  numerous  ports  in  Turkey  in  Asia,  Arabia, 
Persia  and  India,  and  from  Bombay  sailing  to  Ceylon  and  the  Islands  in  the 
Indian  ocean.  Continuing  this  extended  journey,  the  ship  visited  the  Philip- 
pine islands,  and  made  a  special  call  at  Manila,  after  which  they  crossed  the 
Pacific  to  Honolulu,  in  the  Sandwich  islands,  and  on  the  8th  of  November, 
1880,  arrived  in  the  harbor  at  San  Francisco.  After  sustaining  thorough 
repairs  at  the  Mare  Island  navy  yards,  the  gallant  ship  once  more  started  on  her 
long  journey  around  the  world,  rounded  Cape  Horn,  stopped  at  Rio  Janeiro, 
and  reached  New  York  city  August  23,  1881.  The  brief  notes  given  above 
were  culled  from  the  extremely  interesting  and  comprehensive  diary  which 
Mr.  Lake  kept  during  his  travels.  In  this  journal  are  many  valuable  and 
entertaining  facts  in  regard  to  the  customs  and  habits  of  the  peoples  of  those 
far-away  countries,  and  outlines  of  the  products  and  industries  of  the  various 
lands.  The  general  style,  amusing  incident,  and  breezy  commentary  of  the 
observing  and  youthful  traveler  reflect  great  credit  upon  him  as  a  writer  and 
keen  and  sympathetic  member  of  the  human  family. 

Though  he  had  thoroughly  enjoyed  much  of  his  novel  experience  in  the 
•navy,  Mr.  Lake  was  not   averse  to  entering  upon  another  sphere  of  action 


S/Awr^j^  .:^ykrj^e. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  623 

at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service.  He  next  engaged  in  the  carpenter- 
ing trade,  and  in  1885  he  came  to  Yonkers.  Here  he  has  been  occupied  in 
building  and  contracting  for  the  past  nine  years,  and  has  met  with  gratifying 
success.  During  1884-5  he  was  employed  in  the  construction  of  water 
tanks  and  stations  at  various  points  between  Buffalo  and  Poughkeepsie,  along 
the  West  Shore  Railroad. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lake  and  Miss  Mary  Jane  Burke,  of  Utica,  New 
York,  was  celebrated  in  February,  1884.  They  have  four  children,  namely: 
Charles,  Mabel,  Nathan  and  Hattie. 

Though  his  father  was  a  Republican,  Mr.  Lake  is  a  strong  Democrat,  and 
has  acted  on  the  general  local  committee  of  his  party.  At  one  time  he  was 
the  candidate  for  the  office  of  supervisor,  from  his  ward,  the  fifth,  which  is 
the  strongest  Republican  ward  in  the  city,  and  as  a  matter  of  course  he  was 
defeated.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Carpenters'  Union  and  of  the  Army  & 
Navy  Veterans  Association,  and  has  hosts  of  sincere  friends  here  and  else- 
where. 

ABRAM  BARE. 

New  York  is  pre-eminently  a  dairy  state,  and  her  butter  and  cheese  are 
in  demand,  not  only  in  all  parts  of  our  own  land,  but  abroad  as  well.  This 
industry  has  assumed  mammoth  proportions  in  this  state,  and  large  quanti- 
ties of  the  dairy  product  is  shipped  annually  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 
Probably  in  no  state  in  the  Union  are  so  great  pains  taken  as  here  to  have 
the  surroundings  of  the  dairy  and  its  adjuncts  what  they  should  be.  One  of 
these  model  dairies  is  to  be  found  on  the  farm  of  Abram  Bare,  the  gentleman 
.whose  name  appears  at  the  head  of  this  sketch,  and  in  no  part  of  Westchester 
county  can  be  found  more  complete  or  convenient  arrangements  for  the  care 
of  stock  and  milk  than  he  has  provided  on  his  farm  in  the  town  of  Greenburg, 
this  county.  He  has  been  engaged  in  this  business  for  years  and  reduced  it 
to  a  system  that  seems  hard  to  improve  upon. 

He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Catherine  (Acker)  Bare,  and  was  born  Octo- 
ber 22,  1837,  in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  as  were  his  parents  and  maternal 
grandparents.  His  grandfather,  Edward  Bare,  was  a  native  of  England  who 
came  to  this  country  before  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  did  valiant  service 
in  the  struggle  for  independence.  He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Miss  Horn, 
and  secondly  to  Catherine  Bond,  who  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  New  Jersey 
families.  William  Bare,  the  father,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenburg  in 
1787,  was  a  prominent  and  substantial  farmer  of  that  time,  and  died  in  1856. 
His  wife,  nee  Catherine  Acker,  was  a  native  of  the  same  place  as  was  her 
father,  Abraham  Acker,  who  was  here  reared  to  manhood  and  settled  upon 
a  farm  at  Hall's  Corners.     To  WilHam  and  Catherine  Bare  were  born  four 


624  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

children,  viz.:     Margaret,  wife  of  John  Buckhout,  of  Greenburg;  Isaac  H., 
who  died  in  1895;  Susan,  wife  of  John  Acker;  and  Abram,  our  subject. 

Abram  Bare  spent  the  greater  portion  of  his  childhood  in  Hall's  Corners, 
where  he  was  a  student  of  the  district  school  until  his  fifteenth  year.  After 
that  time  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one,  when  he 
began  for  himself  in  the  field  of  husbandry.  During  his  twenty-eighth  year 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Phoebe  Ann  McFadden,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Ophelia  (Hustes)  McFadden,  the  former  an  early  settler  of  the 
town  of  Greenburg  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Mt.  Pleasant.  They  have  eight 
children,  viz.:  Edward  I.,  of  Yonkers;  Sidney,  of  White  Plains;  Mary, 
wife  of  Norman  Lander;  Hattie,  wife  of  William  Uptegrove;  and  Florence, 
Abraham,  Howard  and  William,  all  at  home.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Bare 
settled  upon  the  homestead  of  his  father-in-law,  John  McFadden,  and  there 
has  since  conducted  a  general  farming  and  dairying  business.  In  1876  he 
purchased  the  farm  he  now  owns  and  operates.  This  farm  consists  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  he 
has  still  further  added  to  its  attractive  appearance  by  the  erection  of  large, 
commodious  hay  and  cow  barns,  which  are  of  modern  construction  and 
enable  him  to  care  for  his  herd  of  fifty  or  eighty-five  cows  with  the  least  pos- 
sible trouble.  He  has  a  model  dairy,  the  finest  in  the  town.  Mr.  Bare  is  a 
Republican  and  has  served  one  term  as  school  trustee.  He  is  a  man  of  ster- 
ling character  and  occupies  a  high  place  in  the  regards  of  his  neighbors. 


LEMUEL  MONMOUTH  HART. 

Mr.  Hart  is  a  retired  farmer  of  Hartsdale,  New  York,  in  which  state  he- 
was  born  in  December,  1830,  in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  Westchester  county, 
on  the  old  Hart  homestead.  The  family  were  originally  from  England,  and 
the  first  settlement  made  by  any  of  them  in  this  country  was  on  Long  Island, 
whence  they  moved  to  Westchester  county,  to  what  afterward  became  the 
town  of  Greenburg.  The  great-grandfather,  Joseph  Hart,  settled  on  a  por- 
tion of  the  grant  of  land  which  extended  from  the  Harlem  to  the  Croton 
river,  the  same  having  been  originally  owned  by  Frederick  Phillips.  After 
the  Revolution  this  land  was  confiscated  and  sold  to  the  squatters  who  had 
the  first  right  to  it.  The  maternal  great-grandfather  had  also  settled  on  a 
part  of  this  grant  of  land.  Monmouth  Hart  married,  and  his  death  occurred 
in  1832.  Among  his  children  was  Monmouth  Hart,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  who  was  born  -in  Westchester  county  and  was  a  pioneer  farmer. 
He  had  a  family  of  eight  children.  One  of  them,  Monmouth,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  born  and  reared  on  the  old  homestead,  married  Julia  Ann  Tomp- 
kins, a  daughter  of  Thomas  Tompkins,  who  belongs  to  one  of  Westchester's 


CP^S^^-^-*^^^  ^       (Pt^u,^- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  625 

oldest  families.  She  departed  this  life  in  1893,  leaving  a  wide  circle  of  friends 
to  mourn  her  loss.  The  father  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  was 
a  very  prosperous  one.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  beliefs,  but  never 
suffered  his  name  to  appear  in  connection  with  candidacy  for  any  office, 
although  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  captain  of  the  state  militia,  to  which 
he  was  deeply  attached.  His  death  occurred  in  1845.  He  was  a  member  of 
and  liberal  contributor  to  the  Reformed  church.  Three  sons  were  left  to  bat- 
tle with  the  world, — Joseph  F. ,  who  is  a  resident  of  Illinois;  and  Thomas  T, 
and  Lemuel  M.,  of  Hartsdale. 

Lemuel  M.  Hart  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  learning  well  the 
routine  of  farm  work.  He  received  a  good  common-school  education,  and 
later  attended  a  private  school.  He  was  about  fifteen  years  old  when  his 
father  died,  and  he  at  once  took  charge  of  the  business,  managing  it  most 
successfully  with  his  brother  Thomas,  until  1894,  when  they  disposed  of  the 
homestead  and  retired  to  Hartsdale.  His  success  in  farming  is  due  largely 
to  the  fact  that  he  worked  intelligently  and  adopted  modern  methods  when 
they  were  of  actual  service  to  him.  His  industry  and  thrift  have  enabled 
him  to  retire  from  the  active  duties  of  life  and  spend  its  evening  in  a  manner 
more  suited  to  advancing  age. 


HENRY  SAMPSON  CLARKE. 

"Honesty,"  says  Bovee,  "is  said  to  be  the  first  step  toward  greatness; 
but  the  proverb  fails  to  state  the  case  strong  enough:  honesty  is  not  only  the 
first  step  toward  greatness,  it  is  greatness  itself."  A  reputation  for  honesty 
leads  to  a  good  position,  and  this  may  be  said  to  be  at  least  one  step  toward 
the  desired  goal  of  life.  From  almost  every  sketch  in  this  work  we  can  draw 
some  lessons  of  business,  or  of  encouragement,  or  of  noble  aspiration;  and 
with  these  motives  we  present  a  brief  outline  of  the  life  career  of  Mr.  Clarke, 
who  is  a  teller  in  the  Lincoln  National  Bank  of  New  York  city  and  the  presi- 
dent of  the  village  of  New  Rochelle. 

Mr.  Clarke  is  a  native  of  New  York  city,  born  in  April,  1862,  the  son 
of  Hugh  and  Margaret  (Sampson)  Clarke.  His  father  also  was  a  native  of 
that  city,  grew  to  manhood  there  and  was  sergeant  of  the  New  York  police 
department,  with  which  he  was  connected  for  a  period  of  thirty-five  years. 
He  died  in  1896,  in  his  fifty-eighth  year.  In  politics  he  was  a  pronounced 
Democrat.  Our  subject's  mother,  also  a  native  of  New  York  city,  was  a 
daughter  of  Henry  Sampson,  who  was  a  native  of  England. 

Mr.  H.  S.  Clarke  was  reared  in  New  York  city,  receiving  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools,  and  he  commenced  his  business  career  in  the 
capacity  of  a  clerk  in  a  law  office;  next  he  was  employed  in  a  marine-insur- 

40 


626  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

ance  office;  and  in  1882  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Lincoln  National  Bank 
as  paying  teller,  which  responsible  position  he  has  ably  filled  to  the  pres- 
ent time. 

In  state  and  national  matters  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  in  local 
■matters  independent.  He  has  served  as  trustee  of  the  school  district  and  as 
secretary  of  the  board  of  education  of  New  Rochelle  for  seven  years;  was  also 
secretary  of  the  school  board  for  some  time,  and  in  1892  was  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  village  for  the  term  of  two  years,  and  by  re-election  is  still 
•  serving. 

In  1882  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lizzie  M.  Oxner,  a  daugh- 
•ter  of  John  D.  Oxner,  who  was  the  president  of  the  Houston,  West  Street  & 
-Pavonia  Ferry  Railroad  Company,  of  New  York  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarke 
have  three  children, — Mabel  C,  Marietta  and  John  Oxner.  The  fine  resi- 
dence of  the  family  at  123  Woodland  avenue,  New  Rochelle,  was  built  in 
1897,  and  is  located  in  a  fine  residence  district.  The  former  home  was  at 
the  corner  of  Elm  street  and  Leland  avenue.  In  fraternal  matters  Mr. 
Clarke  is  a  member  of  Huguenot  Lodge,  No.  46,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  religion 
both  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  Trinity  Episcopal  church  in  New 
JRochelle. 

CARL  WILHELM  PLUME. 

This  estimable  citizen  of  Mount  Vernon  was  born  May  13,  1857,  in 
Goeritz,  Germany,  a  son  of  Martin  Frederick  and  Mary  (Schmidt)  Plume, 
his  father  having  been  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  land,  leaving  them  at  the  age  of  fifteen  to 
learn  the  cabinet-maker's  trade.  He  was  three  years  in  the  German  army, 
as  a  member  of  the  Sixty-sixth  Infantry  Regiment.  He  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica in  1883,  arriving  June  nth,  and  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  and  at 
carpentering  in  Norfolk,  Virginia.  In  1885  he  came  to  Mount  Vernon  and 
was  employed  as  a  journeyman  at  his  trade  until  some  time  in  1887.  when 
he  engaged  in  the  business  of  contracting  and  building  in  partnership  with 
Albert  S.  Jenks  (see  sketch  of  this  gentleman),  forming  the  firm  of  Jenks  & 
Plume.  This  company  erected  the  post-office  building  and  the  electric-light 
works,  and  over  a  hundred  other  structures  in  and  about  the  city,  employ- 
ing on  average  about  fifty  men;  and  they  now  have  on  hand  contracts  aggre- 
gating thirty  thousand  dollars;  but  they  also  build  many  houses  of  their  own 
for  sale  on  speculation.  Mr.  Jenks  is  the  office  manager,  while  Mr.  Plume 
is  the  superintending  architect. 

In  his  political  principles  Mr.  Plume  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  is  a  member 
of  Hiawatha  Lodge,  No.  434,  F.  &A.  M.,  of  Golden  Rod  Council,  No.  1316, 
Royal  Arcanum,  and  of  the  Knights  of  Malta,  of  Mount  Vernon. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  627 

February  22,  1886,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Treto, 
daughter  of  John  Treto,  of  Germany,  and  they  have  had  five  sons, — William, 
Albert  V.,  George,  Henry  and  Frederick.  The  last  two  are  deceased.  The 
family  attend  the  Lutheran  church,  of  which  Mr.  Plume  is  a  member. 


FRANK  P.  COXE. 


The  well  known  town  clerk  of  Harrison  township,  and  a  prominent 
grocer  of  Harrison  station,  Mr.  Frank  P.  Coxe,  has  a  rather  remarkable 
record,  as  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world  at  the  age  of 
nine  years.  The  spirit  of  self-help  is  the  source  of  all  genuine  worth  in  the 
individual,  and  is  the  means  of  bringing  to  man  success  when  he  has  no 
advantages  of  wealth  or  influence  to  aid  him.  It  illustrates  in  no  uncertain 
manner  what  it  is  possible  to  accomplish  when  perseverance  and  determina- 
tion form  the  keynote  of  a  man's  life.  Depending  on  his  own  resources, 
looking  for  no  outside  aid  or  support,  he  has  risen  from  comparative  obscur- 
ity to  a  place  of  prominence  both  in  the  commercial  and  political  world. 

Mr.  Coxe  was  born  in  New  York  city,  July  4,  i860,  amid  the  booming 
of  cannons  and  the  noise  of  fire-crackers  on  our  great  national  holiday.  His 
father,  Christopher  Coxe,  who  was  a  contractor  and  builder  by  occupation, 
was  of  English  extraction  and  of  good  old  Quaker  stock,  while  his  mother, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  Agatha  Fitz,  was  of  Irish  and  Ger- 
man descent.  As  previously  stated,  our  subject  began  earning  his  own  live- 
lihood at  the  age  of  nine  years,  and  his  educational  privileges  were  therefore 
limited;  but  by  practical  experience  in  the  business  world  he  has  become  a 
well-informed  man,  especially  on  the  leading  questions  and  issues  of  the  day. 
He  was  interested  in  railroading  for  a  time,  was  collector  for  a  business  firm, 
and  later  was  in  the  grocery  and  real-estate  business  in  New  York.  He  was 
always  faithful  to  his  employers'  interests,  and  his  services  gave  the  utmost 
satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  Since  1892  he  has  been  a  resident  of  West- 
chester county,  and  successfully  carried  on  business  as  a  grocer  at  Harrison, 
where  he  soon  succeeded  in  building  up  a  good  trade. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-four  years  Mr.  Coxe  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Jennie  Seymour,  of  New  York  city,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated, 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  three  children,  namely:  Walter,  Frank 
and  Bertha. 

Mr.  Coxe  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  enterprising  citizens  of  his 
community,  and  gives  a  liberal  support  to  all  measures  which  he  believes 
calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit.  He  was  one  of  the  promoters  and 
organizers  of  the  Harrison  Fire  Company,  was  one  of  those  who  called  its 
first  meetings,  and  from  the  beginning  has  been  officially  connected  with  the 


628  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

company;  has  been  an  efficient  member  of  the  school  board,  and  emphasizes 
the  necessity  of  improving  the  highways.  Being  careful  and  methodical  in 
his  way  of  doing  business,  he  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  town  clerk  of 
Harrison  township,  the  duties  of  which  position  he  discharges  with  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  general  public.  Politically  he  is 
a  stalwart  Democrat,  and,  though  loyal  to  his  party,  at  local  elections  he 
always  supports  the  man  whom  he  believes  best  qualified  to  fill  the  office, 
regardless  of  party  ties.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows. 

THOMAS  BREWER. 

Thomas  Brewer  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  village  of  Mamaro- 
neck.  For  many  years  he  was  prominently  connected  with  its  business 
interest,  but  is  now  living  retired  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former 
toil.  He  was  born  on  the  12th  of  April,  1832,  in  St.  Columb,  Cornwall, 
England,  his  parents  being  Thomas  and  Mary  (Tink)  Brewer.  His  father 
was  an  agriculturist  and  Thomas  spent  his  early  boyhood  days  upon  the 
home  farm,  but  while  still  quite  young  was  apprenticed  to  the  saddlery  and 
harness-making  trade,  serving  for  the  regular  term  of  seven  years.  During 
that  time  he  thoroughly  mastered  the  business  in  every  detail  and  became  a 
proficient  workman.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  was  married  and  imme- 
diately afterward  came  to  America,  making  the  voyage  on  a  sailing  vessel 
which  reached  its  destination  after  seven   weeks   spent  upon  the  briny  deep. 

Mr.  Brewer  located  in  New  Rochelle,  New  York,  his  place  of  settlement 
being  influenced  by  the  fact  that  it  was  the  home  of  an  old  acquaintance, 
Joseph  Harvey.  There  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  harness  and  sad- 
dlery for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  1854  came  to  Mamaroneck,  where  he 
"  carried  on  business  along  the  same  line  for  thirty  years.  Success  attended 
his  enterprise  and  well  directed  efforts,  and  his  patronage  constantly  increas- 
ing he  derived  from  his  business  an  excellent  income.  He  is  now  living 
retired,  save  that  he  is  financially  interested  in  the  Union  Savings  Bank,  and 
holds  the  office  of  vice-president  in  that  institution. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Brewer  has  always  been  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican and  takes  an  active  interest  in  local  politics,  but  has  never  been  an 
aspirant  for  office.  For  nineteen  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum  and  in  business  and  social  circles  he  is  held  in  the  highest  regard. 
He  married  Miss  Ann  Grigg,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Cornwall,  England, 
and  departed  this  life  January  6,  1894. 

Reuben  G.  Brewer,  their  only  child,  was  born  in  New  Rochelle,  New 
York,  on  the  22d  of  July,  1853.  He  acquired  his  literary  education  in  the 
schools  of  Westchester  county  and  supplemented  it  by  a  commercial  course 


^Wa^   (Wv\'-e,-v— 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  629 

in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College,  of  New  York  city.  At  the  time  he 
completed  his  education,  George  I.  Seney  was  president  of  the  Metropolitan 
Bank,  of  New  York.  Going  to  Mr.  Brewer's  father,  he  told  him  he  wished 
to  take  his  son  into  the  bank,  and  thus  it  was  that  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years 
Reuben  G.  Brewer  entered  upon  his  career  as  a  banker.  His  determination 
to  master  the  business,  his  fidelity  and  efficiency,  won  him  promotion  to  the 
rank  of  assistant  teller,  in  which  capacity  he  was  serving  at  the  time  of  the 
failure  of  the  bank,  in  1883.  He  then  secured  a  position  as  bookkeeper  in 
the  Pacific  Bank,  at  No.  470  Broadway,  New  York,  where  he  remained  until 
1887,  when  he  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Mamaroneck  and  became  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Union  Savings  Bank,  of  which  he  was  made  treasurer. 
In  1 89 1  he  aided  in  the  organization  of  the  Mamaroneck  Bank  and  has  con- 
tinuously filled  the  position  of  cashier,  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  treasurer 
in  the  other  bank.  Long  years  of  experience  have  given  him  a  thorough 
understanding  of  the  banking  business,  and  his  ability  in  the  management  of 
such  institutions  is  unsurpassed  in  this  section  of  the  state.  Other  industries 
have  also  been  benefited  by  his  skillful  direction  and  sound  judgment,  and 
he  is  now  connected  with  the  firm  of  Foshay  &  Brewer,  the  leading  dealers 
in  lumber,  coal  and  hardware  in  the  village. 

In  1877  Mr.  Brewer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Irene  E.  Delanoy, 
of  Mamaroneck,  and  they  have  five  children:  Reuben  P.,  who  is  now  book- 
keeper and  assistant  teller  in  his  father's  bank;  Nellie,  Winnifred,  Irene  and 
Elizabeth,  all  living  at  their  pleasant  parental  home. 

Mr.  Brewer  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Republican  party,  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the 
growth  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party  in  this  locality.  He  has  served  as 
treasurer  of  the  village  and  of  the  public-school  fund  of  Mamaroneck,  and  has 
held  the  same  office  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  has  discharged 
these  official  duties  with  the  same  thoroughness  and  fidelity  that  have  char- 
acterized all  his  business  transactions,  and  at  all  times  he  is  found  true  and 
faithful  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him. 


JOHN  REEDY. 

The  genial  and  popular  station  agent  at  Pocantico  Hills,  Westchester 
county,  was  born  March  26,  1852,  in  Kingston,  Middlesex  county,  New  Jer- 
sey, and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (Reidener)  Reedy.  The  father  was 
of  Irish  parentage  and  was  a  railroad  man  by  occupation.  The  boyhood  and 
youth  of  our  subject  was  passed  in  his  native  state  and  in  New  York,  and  his 
education  was  received  in  the  public  schools.  In  early  life  he  learned  teleg- 
raphy and  soon  became  a  good  operator.    He  held  a  responsible  position  with 


630  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

the  elevated  railway  in  New  York  city  for  about  twelve  years  before  coming 
to  Pocantico  Hills,  where  he  has  made  his  home  since  1887,  and  has  served 
as  station  agent  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  railroad  company. 

In  1878  Mr.  Reedy  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ella  McCarthy,  by 
whom  he  has  had  nine  children,  but  five  died  either  in  infancy  or  early  child- 
hood. Those  still  living  are  Margaret,  John,  William  and  Leo.  Mr.  Reedy 
is  a  man  just  in  the  prime  of  life,  weighing  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  and 
reminds  one  very  much  of  the  Hon.  Thomas  Reed  in  physique  and  appear- 
ance. 

By  his  ability  as  a  railroad  man  he  has  gained  the  good  will  and  esteem 
of  his  employers,  and  by  his  affable  and  jovial  manner  has  won  the  high 
regard  and  friendship  of  those  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact  either  in 
business,  social  or  political  life.  As  a  business  man  he  is  careful  and  methodi- 
cal, and  duties  entrusted  to  his  care  have  been  discharged  with  the  utmost 
promptness  and  fidelity.  His  fellow  citizens,  recognizing  his  worth  and 
ability,  have  called  him  to  public  office,  and  he  has  served  as  tax-collector  in 
his  school  district  for  five  years.  In  1888  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of 
Pocantico  under  President  Cleveland,  served  also  under  President  Harrison, 
and  one  year  under  McKinley. 


MERWIN  SNIFFIN. 


The  gentleman  whose  name  we  place  at  the  head  of  this  review  is 
classed  with  the  leading  merchants  of  White  Plains,  Westchester  county, 
New  York.  In  this  county  he  was  born  and  reared  and  here  several  genera- 
tions of  the  family  have  lived  and  died.  The  Sniffins  are  of  Enghsh  and 
Scotch  descent.  Representatives  of  the  family  came  over  to  America  at  an 
early  period  in  the  history  of  this  country  and  established  their  home  in  this 
county  shortly  after  the  removal  of  the  Indians  from  this  place.  Here  Ben- 
jamin Sniffin  and  Harris  Sniffin,  the  grandfather  and  father  of  our  subject, 
were  born,  the  latter  being  a  native  of  the  town  of  Middle  Patent,  and  by 
occupation  a  farmer  and  merchant.  For  many  years  he  was  engaged  in 
business  in  Greenburg,  where  he  was  well  and  favorably  known,  and  where 
he  died,  in  1.849.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  was,  before  marriage. 
Miss  Phoebe  Brundage.  She  was  born  in  the  town  of  Mount  Pleasant,  this 
county,  and  died  in  1870,  in  her  fifty-eighth  year.  Her  father,  Robert 
Brundage,  was  a  native  of  the  same  county,  and  died  here  in  1832.  Harris 
and  Phoebe  Sniffin  had  eight  children,— four  sons  and  four  daughters.  Three 
of  the  sons  are  business  men  of  White  Plains. 

Merwin  Sniffin  was  born  in  Greenburg,  New  York,  May  13,  1834,  and 
was  reared  chiefly  in  the  town  of  Greenburg.      Leaving  school  at  the  age  of 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  631 

sixteen  to  assist  his  father  in  the  store,  he  early  acquired  a  knowledge  of 
business  and  men.  After  some  years  spent  in  his  father's  store  he  engaged 
in  business  on  his  own  account,  opening  up  a  stock  of  boots  and  shoes  in 
White  Plains,  and  continuing  in  business  there  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
civil  war. 

Disposing  of  his  business  interests,  Mr.  Sniffin  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fifth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Colonel  William  H.  Morris  and  Captain  E.  W.  Andrews.  This  regiment 
belonged  to  the  Third  Brigade,  Third  Division  and  Fifth  Army  Corps,  and 
was  commanded  by  General  Warren.  Mr.  Sniffin  with  his  command  par- 
ticipated in  a  number  of  battles  and  small  engagements  and  was  in  active 
duty  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Among  the  prominent  actions  in  which  he 
took  part  were  those  of  Ahtietam,  Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness,  Petersburg 
and  Cedar  creek.  His  whole  service  was  characterized  by  faithfulness  and 
true  bravery,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  honorably  discharged. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  White  Plains  in  1865,  he  has  since  resided 
here.  The  first  year  he  was  employed  in  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade;  in 
1867  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  on  the  principal  street  of  the  town, 
where  he  soon  by  his  courtesy  and  honorable  business  methods  built  up  a 
good  trade,  and  where  he  has  since  continued  to  do  a  prosperous  business, 
and  to-day  he  ranks  with  the  leading  and  most  successful  merchants  of  White 
Plains. 

In  1870  Mr.  Sniilin  married  Miss  Phoebe  Martin,  of  Fordam,  New  York, 
daughter  of  Cornelius  Martin.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  in  the  birth  of 
one  daughter,  now  the  wife  of  F  W.  Clark,  of  Mount  Vernon.  By  his 
second  marriage  Mr.  Sniffin  has  two  daughters,  Mabel  and  Clara,  both  attend- 
ing school. 

Like  most  veterans  of  the  late  war,  Mr.  Sniffin  is  identified  with  that  popu- 
lar organization,  the  G.  A.  R. ,  and  has  a  membership  in  Cromwell  Post.  Also 
he  is  a  member  of  White  Plains  Lodge,  No.  473,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  his  polit- 
ical views  he  has  always  harmonized  with  the  Repubhcan  party. 


WILLIAM    H.    A.   HORSFALL. 

From  most  of  the  biographical  material  in  this  volume  we  draw  lessons 
of  ambition,  industry,  perseverance,  integrity,  etc.,  "  for  the  young;"  but  in 
this  instance  we  find  a  young  man  who  in  due  time  learned  the  lessons  and 
has  been  improving  by  them  from  the  very  earliest  practicable  period  to  the 
present,  and  is  pushing  the  older  members  of  his  profession  hard  and  fast 
before  him. 

This  young  man  was  born  January  22,  1871,  in  New  York  city,  a  son  of 


632  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

John  Henry  and  Julia  (Lane)  Horsfall.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  city  and  subsequently  pursued  a  course  of  scientific 
study  under  a  private  tutor  for  three  years.  Next,  preparing  himself  for  a 
high  position  as  an  architect,  he  completed  a  course  of  special  training  in 
the  office  of  an  architect  and  finally  a  special  course  in  Pratt's  Archi- 
tectural Institute.  For  the  practice  of  his  profession  he  first  located  at 
Mount  Vernon  and  operated  here  for  three  years,  and  the  next  three  years 
he  followed  the  charms  of  his  chosen  art  in  New  York  city  for  the  Suburban 
Finance  and  Construction  Company.  Meanwhile  he  continued  his  office  at 
Mount  Vernon;  but,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  his  rapidly  growing  practice  here 
at  Mount  Vernon  he  has  since  confined  himself  to  this  place,  in  October,  1894, 
opening  spacious  offices  at  2  and  4  Park  avenue.  In  his  work  so  far  he  has 
been  chiefly  engaged  upon  private  residences.  Among  the  more  important 
public  buildings  which  he  has  designed  and  built  are  the  City  Club  building, 
the  police  headquarters,  the  Valentine  storage  house  and  St.  Francis'  church, 
Roman  Catholic,  in  New  York  city,  besides  Henry  Cannon's  residence  at 
Irvington  and  his  own  handsome  country  seat.  During  the  short  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  business  in  Mount  Vernon  he  has  planned  and  built  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  houses,  having  as  many  as  fifteen  on  hand  at  a  time.  He 
employs  three  assistants  as  draughtsmen  at  the  office.  He  is  a  rising  young 
man,  and  the  brightest  period  of  his  life  is  still  before  him. 

Socially  he  is  Very  popular.  He  has  served  in  the  Eleventh  Separate 
Company  (military)- of  Mount  Vernon,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church. 

November  6,  1895,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Porter,  of  Lenox,  Mas- 
sachusetts, a  daughter  of  George  Porter,  of  Revolutionary  stock. 


MICHAEL  J.   MARTIN. 


The  efficient  assessor  of  Mount  Pleasant  township,  and  a  prominent  ma- 
son and  contractor  residing  in  North  Tarrytown,  Michael  J.  Martin  was  born 
on  the  28th  of  September,  1854,  on  the  same  street  where  he  now  lives,  a 
son  of  poor  but  worthy  parents,  both  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  The  fa- 
ther, Daniel  Martin,  was  a  teamster  and  remained  in  Ireland  until  1846, 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  with  the  hope  of  bettering  his  financial 
condition.  At  the  old  Matt  street  Catholic  church,  of  New  York  city,  he  was 
united  m  marriage  with  Bridget  McCaley,  who  made  him  a  good  wife  and 
who  is  now  living  with  our  subject,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years,  but  the 
father's  death  occurred  in  1869. 

Eight  sons  were  born  to  this  worthy  couple,  Michael  J.  Martin  being  the 
sixth  in  order  of  birth.      At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  took  up  silk-spinning  and 


^o^a^tyU 


/XA^c^ty'L^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  633 

-was  thus  employed  for  three  years.  Following  this  he  was  for  two  years  en- 
gaged in  the  butcher  business  with  Henry  Fischer,  after  which  he  was,  for  two 
years,  in  the  same  business  for  himself.  He  then  removed  to  New  York 
city,  locating  in  the  old  ninth  ward,  with  whose  political  interests  he  was 
identified  for  some  years,  during  which  time  he  voted  for  John  Kelley  for 
governor.  He  also  carried  on  business  there  as  a  butcher.  In  1880  he  re- 
■turned  to  his  native  town  and,  after  clerking  for  a  time,  embarked  in  his  pres- 
ent business  as  a  mason  and  contractor. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  1880,  at  the  old  cathedral  on  Matt  street.  New 
York  city,  where  his  parents  were  wedded  many  years  previous,  Mr.  Martin 
led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Lucy  Fairbrother,  who  was  born,  reared  and 
educated  in  that  city,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Sophia  Fairbrother.  Of  the 
five  children  born  of  this  union,  Daniel  Richard  and  Joseph  are  still  living, 
while  three  died  when  young:  Mary,  Agnes  and  Lucy. 

Mr.  Martin  has  always  taken  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  political 
affairs  and  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members  of  the 
Democracy  in  North  Tarrytown  and  Mount  Pleasant  township,  being  a  zeal- 
ous worker  for  his  party's  interests.  As  a  delegate  to  numerous  conventions 
he  has  rendered  his  party  effective  service,  was  instrumental  in  nominating 
Ralph  Baker  and  John  Gibney,  and  worked  earnestly  for  their  election,  and 
also  supported  Isaac  Turner  in  the  fall  of  1898.  He  keeps  well  posted  on 
the  leading  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  and  is  therefore  well  able  to  vote 
intelligently  on  every  measure  that  comes  up.  He  has  most  ably  served  his 
fellow  citizens  in  the  capacity  of  assessor  of  Mount  Pleasant  township  and 
took  an  active  part  in  the  great  assessor's  case  against  John  D.  and  William 
Rockefeller,  which  attracted  so  much  attention  all  over  the  United  States. 
Mr.  Martin  has  also  served  on  the  board  of  health,  has  been  chief  and  treas- 
urer of  the  fire-department,  and  was  a  member  and  first  assistant  engineer  of 
the  old  hook  and  ladder  company,  with  which  he  was  officially  connected  for 
many  years.  He  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  Court  Fremont,  No. 
258,  Ancient  Order  of  Foresters  of  America,  at  Tarrytown;  served  as  treas- 
urer for  that  court,  and  also  as  chief  ranger,  being  elected  to  the  latter  office 
three  times  in  succession.  In  all  the  relations  of  life  he  has  been  found  true 
to  every  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  he  has  a  host  of  warm  friends  throughout 
his  native  county. 

J.  ALBERT  MAHLSTEDT. 

Mr.  Mahlstedt  is  president  of  the  J.  A.  Mahlstedt  Lumber  &  Coal  Com- 
pany, of  New  Rochelle,  New  York,  and  has  demonstrated  the  true  meaning 
of  the  word  success  as  the  full  accomplishment  of  an  honorable  purpose. 
Energy,  close  application,  perseverance  and  good  management, —  these  are 


634  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

the  elements  which  have  entered  into  his  business  career  and  crowned  his 
efforts  with  prosperity. 

Mr.  Mahlstedt  was  born  in  New  York  city,  in  1853,  a  son  of  J.  A.  and 
Margaret  (Meyer)  Mahlstedt,  both  natives  of  Germany.  The  father  was 
born  in  the  village  of  Laste,  in  September,  1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Jacob  and 
Margaret  (Bell)  Mahlstedt.  In  1849  J.  A.  Mahlstedt,  Sr.,  emigrated  with 
his  family  to  the  United  States,  embarking  upon  a  sailing  vessel,  and  as  the 
winds  were  favorable  they  made  the  voyage  in  twenty-seven  days.  Arriving 
in  New  York  city,  he  located  there  and  made  that  place  his  home  until  1853, 
when  he  came  to  New  Rochelle,  Westchester  county.  Here  he  engaged  in 
general  mercantile  business  for  a  time,  and  in  connection  with  it  he  became 
interested  in  the  ice  business,  which  he  continued  to  follow  after  disposing  of 
his  stock  of  goods,  building  up  a  large  and  profitable  trade.  When  he  retired 
from  the  ice  business,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  J.  Albert,  who'is  to-day 
carrying  on  a  large  wholesale  business  as  dealer  in  ice,  the  lumber  and  coal 
business  being  largely  retail.  The  lumber  and  coal  sheds  are  the  most  exten- 
sive in  the  place,  and  are  arranged  for  both  security  and  convenience.  He 
still  conducts  a  large  wholesale  ice  business,  employing  large  bodies  of  men 
and  teams  in  harvesting  the  ice.  He  is  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  pro- 
gressive business  men  of  New  Rochelle.  His  brother,  George  W.  Mahl- 
stedt, is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  J.  A.  Mahlstedt  Lumber  &  Coal 
Company. 

In  1884  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  J.  Albert  Mahlstedt  and  Miss 
Margaret  L.  Holler,  of  Mount  Vernon,  New  York,  in  which  place  she  was 
born  and  reared,  being  a  daughter  of  John  P.  Holler,  a  highly  respected  citi- 
zen of  Mount  Vernon.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mahlstedt  now  have  a  family  of  five 
children,  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely:  J.  Albert,  John  F.,  Henry 
G.,  Robert  A.  and  Margaret  L.  The  elegant  home  of  the  family  is  located 
on  the  old  Porter  homestead,  and  is  noted  for  its  hospitality  and  good  cheer. 

Mr.  Mahlstedt  takes  an  active  part  in  all  matters  of  interest  to  his  vil- 
lage, and  has  most  acceptably  served  as  treasurer  of  New  Rochelle  for  four 
terms;  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Union  free  schools,  of  upper  New 
Rochelle.  He  has  also  been  connected  with  the  fire  department  for  many 
years,  being  a  member  of  Enterprise  Hook  &  Ladder  Company  nineteen 
years,  and  treasurer  of  the  same  for  twelve  years.  He  is  treasurer  of  the 
public  schools  of  New  Rochelle,  and  president  of  the  Standard  Improvement 
Company,  which  since  its  organization  has  been  incorporated  under  the  state 
laws  of  New  York.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  board  of  trade  of 
New  Rochelle,  and  is  treasurer  of  the  same.  The  village  has  no  more  enter- 
prising or  public-spirited  citizen,— one  willing  to  aid  every  object  for  the 
good  of  the  community. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  635 


ELBERT  T.  BAILEY. 


This  well-known  real-estate  dealer  and  insurance  agent  of  Mount  Kisco, 
New  York,  eminently  deserves  classification  among  the  purely  self-made  men 
who  have  distinguished  themselves  for  their  ability  to  master  the  opposing 
forces  of  life  and  to  wrest  from  fate  a  large  measure  of  success  and  an  hon- 
orable name. 

He  was  born  in  Sing  Sing,  New  York,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Bailey, 
also  a  native  of  Westchester  county,  where  his  early  life  was  spent.  He 
published  a  newspaper  at  Sing  Sing  for  several  years  and  later  became  a 
noted  criminal  lawyer,  enjoying  a  large  practice  in  Putnam  and  adjoining 
counties  and  being  remarkably  successful  in  his  trial  of  cases.  He  made  his 
home  in  Carmel,  Putnam  county,  but  also  had  an  office  in  New  York  city. 
He  represented  that  county  in  the  state  legislature  for  three  years,  always 
took  an  active  and  influential  part  in  political  affairs,  and  at  one  time  was  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  congress  from  his  district,  but  was  defeated.  He 
was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad  and 
served  as  attorney  of  the  same  for  several  years.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two  years.  His  father  was  also  a  native  of  Westchester  county.  Our 
subject's  mother,  who  was  an  active  and  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Calista  Wilson,  of  this  county,  and  died 
at  about  the  age  of  sixty-three.  Of  her  four  children  two  died  while  young, 
and  our  subject  is  the  older  of  the  two  now  living.  William  F.  is  now  a 
distinguished  citizen  of  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  and  has  served  as  supreme- 
court  judge  of  that  state  for  the  past  six  years.  During  the  civil  war  he 
entered  the  service  as  private  but  was  soon  detailed  as  private  secretary  to 
General  Sedgwick.  In  Westchester  county  he  raised  a  company,  which  was 
mustered  into  the  United  States  service  as  Company  K,  Ninety-fifth  New 
York  Infantry,  and  he  served  as  captain  of  the  same. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  Elbert  T.  Bailey  was  principally  passed  at 
Carmel,  Putnam  county,  where  he  attended  both  public  and  private  schools, 
and  later  became  a  student  in  the  seminary  at  North  Salem,  Westchester 
county.  At  the  opening  of  the  Civil  war,  however,  he  laid  aside  his  school- 
books  and  entered  the  Union  service  with  his  brother,  as  orderly  sergeant, 
but  shortly  afterward  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  second  lieutenant  and 
served  as  such  until  discharged  on  account  of  physical  disability.  For  two^ 
months  he  lay  in  a  hospital,  ill  with  diphtheria  and  typhoid  fever,  and  then 
was  taken  home  by  his  father.  Among  his  most  cherished  possessions  is  a 
sword  presented  him  by  the  citizens  of  Carmel.  On  his  recovery  he  accepted 
a  position  as  operator  at  New  York  city  for  the  Western  Union  Telegraph 
Company,    with   which  he   remained  for  a  couple  of  years,    and  was  then 


^36  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

appointed  agent  at  Hillsdale,  Columbia  county,  New  York,  being  located 
there  for  about  three  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  came  as  agent  to 
Mount  Kisco  and  most  acceptably  filled  that  position  for  a  quarter  of  a  cent- 
ury, or  until  1893,  when  he  resigned.  In  the  meantime  he  had  become 
interested  in  the  real-estate  and  insurance  business,  which  now  claims  a  con- 
siderable degree  of  his  attention.  In  company  with  D.  Waldron  Bailey,  he 
has  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  yellow-pine,  poplar  and  locust  lum- 
ber at  Elkin,  North  Carolina,  since  1895,  and  that  enterprise  also  is  proving 
very  profitable.  In  1894  he  was  appointed  by  the  supreme  court,  one  of  the 
commissioners  to  appraise  the  condemned  property  of  the  water  way  between 
Brewster's  and  Croton  Falls  on  Croton  river,  which  supplies  New  York  city 
with  water,  and  is  still  filling  that  responsible  position  with  credit  and  ability. 

Mr.  Bailey  married  Miss  Josephine  Holmes,  of  Mount  Kisco,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  Holmes,  also  a  native  of  Westchester  county,  and  they  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  four  children:  W.  Frank,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real- 
■estate  and  insurance  business  with  his  father,  and  is  also  an  expert  witness 
for  the  city  of  New  York  on  condemned  real-estate;  D.  Waldron,  who  is 
with  his  father  in  the  lumber  business  in  North  Carolina;  Jennie  B.,  at  home; 
and  George  L.  T. ,  who  is  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  North  Carolina. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bailey  is  a  stanch  and  active  Democrat,  who  ranks 
among  the  most  honored  counselors  of  his  party,  and  his  opinions  and  advice 
are  continually  sought  on  questions  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  city. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  and  president  of  the  same  for 
several  years;  has  been  president  of  the  village  three  or  four  years;  and  rep- 
resented the  town  of  Bedford  as  county  committeeman  for  several  years. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  charter  member  of  Kisco  Lodge,  No.  708,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  is  now  an  honored  member  of  Stewart 
Hart  Post,  G.  A.  R. ,  of  which  he  was  the  first  commander,  an  office  he  con- 
tinued to  fill  for  several  years. 


GEORGE  L.  MILLER. 


"  Earn  thy  reward;  the  gods  give  naught  to  sloth,"  said  the  sage  Epi- 
charmus,  and  the  truth  of  the  admonition  has  been  verified  in  human  affairs 
in  all  the  ages  which  have  rolled  their  course  since  his  day.  The  subject  to 
■whose  life  history  we  now  direct  attention  has,  by  ceaseless  toil  and  endeavor, 
attained  a  marked  success  in  business  affairs,  has  gained  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  men,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  distinctively  representative 
citizens  of  White  Plains.  For  many  years  he  has  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  its  building  interests  and  has  thus  become  known  as  an  important 
factor  in  industrial  circles  in  Westchester  county. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  QBT 

Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  White  Plains,  January  6, 1849,  and  belongs  to  one 
of  the  old  families  of  the  county,  long  connected  with  its  history.  The  family 
is  of  German  origin  and  in  colonial  days  was  founded  in  America.  The  great- 
grandfather of  our  subject  was  Robert  Miller,  who  married  Annie  Fisher,  and 
after  the  battle  of  White  Plains  their  home  was  used  as  the  headquarters  of 
General  Washington  for  sometime.  Mrs.  Miller  was  a  very  devout  Method- 
ist and  her  home  was  the  place  of  entertainment  for  all  the  Methodist  minis- 
ters that  visited  the  neighborhood.  Many  of  the  meetings  of  that  denomi- 
nation were  also  held  in  her  house.  Elijah  Miller,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Westchester  county  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He 
married  his  cousin,  Lettie  Miller,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  Leonard 
Miller,  father  of  George  L.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  White  Plains, 
Westchester  county,  in  1810,  became  a  contractor  and  builder  and  erected 
many  of  the  substantial  residences  in  the  county-seat  and  surrounding  coun- 
try. He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Central  Bank  of  Westchester 
county,  of  which  he  was  made  president,  serving  in  that  responsible  position 
for  some  time,  and  continuing  to  act  as  a  member  of  the  directorate  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  May,  1884.  His  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Eliza  Jane  Renoud,  and  was  born  in  Rye,  Westchester 
county,  in  18 17.  Her  father  was  Stephen  Renoud,  whose  father  was  a  de- 
scendant of  the  French  Huguenots,  and  located  in  Westchester  county,  near 
New  Rochelle.  The  former  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  a  Miss- 
Travis,  by  whom  he  had  one  daughter.  His  second  wife  was  Martha  Purdy 
and  by  this  marriage  he  had  three  children,  a  son  and  two  daughters. 

George  L.  Miller,  the  well-known  contractor  and  builder  of  White 
Plains,  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  this  city,  and  acquired  his  education 
in  its  public  schools.  In  1869  he  began  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade  with- 
his  father,  and  after  he  had  mastered  the  business  he  did  considerable  work 
along  that  line  in  Rockland  and  Orange  counties,  New  York.  Returning  to 
White  Plains,  he  became  a  manager  of  his  father's  business, — an  association 
that  was  maintained  until  1876,  when  our  subject  began  contracting  and 
building  on  his  own-  account.  A  good  measure  of  success  has  attended  his 
indefatigable  and  well-directed  efforts.  He  has  taken  contracts  for  the 
erection  of  many  of  the  best  residences  in  White  Plains  and  vicinity,  as  well 
as  business  houses,  churches  and  public  buildings.  His  fidelity  to  the  terms 
of  a  contract,  excellent  workmanship  and  honorable  dealings  have  brought  to 
him  a  very  liberal  patronage,  and  on  all  sides  stand  evidences  of  his  handi- 
work and  skill. 

In  October,  1876,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Miller  and  Miss 
Esther  A.  Coles,  of  Greenburg,  Westchester  county,  the  second  daughter  of 
James  and  Esther  (Van  Wart)  Coles.     She  was  born  in  this  county,  where 


688  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

she  also  spent  her  girlhood  and  school  days.  Her  grandfather  was  Robert 
Coles,  a  son  of  James  Coles.  Her  maternal  grandfather  was  Isaac  Van 
Wart,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  valiantly  fought  for  the  independence  of 
the  nation,  being  one  of  the  party  which  captured  Major  Andre.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Miller  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Lena  Adelle.  Their  home  is  one  of 
the  substantial  residences  on  Broadway,  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  pretty 
lawn  and  attractive  surroundings.  In  politics  Mr.  Miller  af&Hates  with  the 
Republicans  and  takes  considerable  interest  in  local  and  county  politics.  He 
is  now  serving  as  trustee  of  White  Plains  and  is  progressive  and  public- 
spirited  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  He  is  loyal  as  a  citizen,  honorable  in 
business,  and  popular  among  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


MATTHEW  J.   HALL,   M.  D. 

Dr.  M.  J.  Hall,  a  successful  practitioner  of  medicine  in  Mamaroneck,  has 
started  out  upon  a  long  and  brilliant  career  of  responsibility,  awkward  duties 
and  disagreeable  works  of  charity;  but  he  has  the  talent,  the  physical  ability 
and  the  disposition  to  acquit  himself  well. 

The  Doctor  is  a  native  of  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  born  April  lo, 
1864,  and  at  that  place  was  brought  up  and  educated  in  the  public  elementary 
and  high  schools.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  a  thorough  physi- 
cian, Dr.  B.  C.  Howland,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  was  matriculated 
at  the  New  York  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  of  New  York  city,  and  after 
three  years  of  arduous  study  received  the  diploma  of  the  institution.  After 
filling  the  position  of  resident  physician  at  what  is  now  the  Flower  Hospital 
a  year,  he  came,  in  1886,  to  Mamaroneck,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
■engaged  exclusively  and  continuously  in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession. 
He  has  been  health  officer  for  seven  years;  is  a  member  of  the  county,  state 
and  national  medical  societies,  of  the  Hahnemannian  Association  and  the 
Hahnemannian  Society  of  New  York. 

The  Doctor  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Leila  J.  Foshay,  a  daughter 
of  John  F.  Foshay,  Esq.,  and  they  have  two  children — Marjorie  and  How- 
land, — the  latter  being  named  in  honor  of  his  father's  medical  preceptor. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  Apawamis  Lodge,  No. 
800;  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Alert  Lodge,  No.  752;  of  Sheldrake  Coun- 
cil, No.  264,  Royal  Arcanum;  of  Hawthorne  Commandery  of  the  Golden 
Cross;  is  the  medical  examiner  for  the  Metropolitan  Mutual  Life  and  the 
Prudential  Life  Insurance  Companies,  and  for  the  Catholic  Benevolent  Legion. 
His  religious  views  may  be  known  from  the  fact  that  he  is  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church. 

In  conclusion  we  may  say  a  few  words  with  reference  to  the  Doctor's 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  639 

genealogy.  The  Hall  family  can  trace  their  ancestry  back  to  the  year  912. 
Two  hundred  years  ago  the  name  was  spelled  Halle.  In  the  family  there 
have  been  many  attorneys  and  physicians.  William  Marshall  Hall,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  cordage  company  there  for  thirty  years,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-four  years.  Enlisting  in  the  war  for  the  Union,  he  joined  the  Sixth 
Massachusetts  Volunteer  Infantry;  but  when  his  regiment  had  reached  Balti- 
more on  its  way  to  the  front  the  war  closed.  Mr.  Hall  was  an  active  Repub- 
lican, and  a  zealous  and  intelligent  member  of  the  Congregational  church. 
He  married  Miss  Margaret  Thompson,  of  New  Bedford,  who  is  still  living, 
being  now  seventy-two  years  of  age.  She  also  is  a  sincere  and  consistent 
member  of  the  Congregational  church.  Her  father,  John  Thompson,  was 
also  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  an  old,  well  known  and  highly  respected 
family  of  the  Bay  state.  William  Hall,  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  was  a 
native  of  Edinboro,  Scotland,  and  was  educated  at  the  noted  university  there, 
of  which  institution  he  was  secretary  for  several  years. 


FRED.   E.  TOMPKINS. 


This  highly  esteemed  citizen,  engaged  in  farming  and  dairying  near  White 
Plains,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  Westchester  county,  April  15, 
1864,  the  eldest  son  of  Sylvester  G.  and  Harriet  E.  Tompkins.  His  mother 
was  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Tompkins,  and  his  father  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Greenburg,  on  the  old  Tompkins  homestead,  in  December,  1837,  the  son  of 
Gilbert  Tompkins,  who  also  was  a  native  of  the  same  town.  The  paternal 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Thomas  Tompkins.  Sylvester  and 
Harriet  E.  Tompkins  were  the  parents  of  three  children:  Fred.  E. ,  our  sub- 
ject; Eva  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  H.  Lewis,  Jr.,  of  White 
Plains;   and  Chester  W. 

Mr.  Tompkins,  whose  name  heads  this  brief  sketch,  was  reared  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  on  his  father's  farm  and  educated  at  the  district  school. 
He  was  about  thirty-three  years  of  age  when  his  father  died,  and  he  thereupon 
took  charge  of  the  place.  His  mother,  surviving,  is  a  resident  of  the  home- 
stead. The  forty-three  acres  of  which  it  consists  are  in  a  good  state  of  culti- 
vation and  furnished  with  good  buildings. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Tompkins  is  a  Republican.  He  has  served  as 
tax  collector  for  a  number  of  years,  faithful  to  his  trust  and  rendering  satis- 
faction to  the  authorities  for  the  manner  in  which  he  has  accomplished  his 
duties.  In  religion  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
■^  church. 

October    13,    1886,   he    was  united    in  matrimony  with  Miss  Myra   T. 


640  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Shelley,  a  native  of  Greenburg  town  and  a  daughter  of  Clark  and  Elizabeth- 
(Sniffin)  Shelley,  of  Unionville,  in  the  town  of  Mount  Pleasant.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Tompkins  have  one  daughter,   named  Hazel  M. 


PETER  J.   MITCHELL. 


Closely  connected  with  the  business  interests  of  Yonkers,  New  York, 
and  ranking  as  one  of  its  leading  citizens,  we  find  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
Peter  J.  Mitchell. 

Mr.  Mitchell  is  a  native  of  Yonkers,  born  January  9,  1862,  and  is  a  son 
of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Quinn)  Mitchell.  He  received  his  educatioti  in  St. 
Mary's  parochial  school  and  in  the  public  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years  left  school  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  was  first  employed 
as  clerk  in  a  paint  store,  where  he  remained  only  a  short  time,  after  which 
he  learned  the  trade  of  hatter  in  the  establishment  of  Baldwin  &  Flagg, 
Yonkers.  This  business  occupied  his  time  up  to  1877,  when  he  entered  the 
employ  of  his  brother,  Michael  F.  Mitchell,  in  the  hotel  of  which  he  is  at 
present  proprietor.  He  remained  with  his  brother  until  1886,  when  he 
opened  an  establishment  of  his  own  on  Ravine  avenue,  known  as  the  Glen- 
wood  House.  This  he  conducted  ■  for  three  years  and  a  half.  In  1890  he 
bought  of  his  brother  the  Warburton  Hotel,  which  he  has  since  successfully 
conducted.  Both  in  the  hotel  business  and  in  the  various  other  enterprises 
with  which  he  is  connected  he  has  met  with  marked  success.  Mr.  Mitchell 
is  a  director  of  the  Yonkers  Brewery;  e  member  of  the  executive  committee 
of  the  Warburton  Hall  Association;  vice-president  of  the  Yonkers  Bowling 
Association;  a  stockholder  in  the  banks  of  Yonkers,  as  well  as  the  Gas  Com- 
pany and  the  District  Telegraph  Messenger  Company;  member  of  the  Yon- 
kers and  Corinthian  Yacht  Clubs'  and  the  A.  B.  C.  Bowling  Club.  He  is 
also  prominently  identified  with  the  fire  department  of  Yonkers. 

In  June,  1883,  Mr.  Mitchell  became  a  member  of  Protection  Engine 
Company  No.  i;  in  August  of  that  year  was  made  its  treasurer,  and  in  1884 
its  foreman,  and  he  has  been  a  representative  of  this  company  for  twelve 
years.  He  was  elected  state  delegate  to  the  conventions  held  at  Lockport, 
New  York,  in  1886;  Schenectady,  in  1887;  and  Binghamton,  in  1898.  As  a 
delegate  to  Lockport,  in  1886,  he  took  up  the  fight  which  resulted  in  the 
election,  at  Binghamton,  in  1898,  of  the  city  of  Yonkers  as  the  state  con- 
vention city  for  1899.  Mr.  Mitchell  has  kept  up  a  ceaseless  fight  in  the  inter- 
est of  Yonkers,  and  it  is  due  to  his  tireless  efforts  that  this  town  will  the 
present  year  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  entertaining  the  state  convention.  From 
time  to  time  Mr.  Mitchell  has  served  on  various  important  committees.  He 
was  on  the  topic  committee  in  1897,  and  was  made  a  member  of  the  auditing. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  641 

committee  in  1898-9.  He  was  president  of  the  finance  committee  until  suc- 
ceeded by  Mayor  Sutherland,  when  he  was  made  first  vice-president  of  the 
Firemen's  Convention  Committee,  which  position  he  is  filling  at  present.  He 
was  the  president  of  the  Yonkers  Athletic  Association  during  1895  and  1896. 
Mr.  Mitchell  is  a  member  of  St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  church.  He  is 
a  splendid  example  of  the  self-made  man,  and  stands  deservedly  high  in  both 
business  and  social  circles. 


JOSEPH  H.   HUFF. 


Joseph  H.  Huff,  the  genial  proprietor  of  the  Huff  Hotel  at  Pleasantville, 
New  York,  was  born  on  the  17th  of  October,  1854,  in  Hunterdon  county, 
near  Little  York,  New  Jersey,  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Jane  (Halk)  Huff.  The 
father,  who  belonged  to  an  old  and  highly  respected  family  of  that  state,  was 
a  cabinet-maker  by  trade. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  Joseph  H.  Huff  pursued  his  studies  in  the 
common  schools  of  New  Jersey.  On  starting  out  in  life  for  himself  he  worked 
as  a  mechanic  on  public  works  in  New  York  for  a  while,  and  then  became 
interested  in  the  hotel  business.  It  was  in  1889  and  1890  that  his  present 
hotel  at  Pleasantville  was  erected,  it  being  a  fine  three-story  structure 
with  a  well  lighted  basement,  and  it  has  become  a  great  favorite  with  the 
traveling  public,  for  he  is  a  model  landlord,  jovial,  popular  and  obliging. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1890,  Mr.  Huff  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Kate  Noyes,  daughter  of  George  Noyes,  and  to  them  has  been  born  one  son, 
William  H.  Mr.  Huff  uses  his  right  of  franchise  in  the  support  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  takes  an  active  and  commendable  interest  in  public  affairs. 
He  is  now  serving  as  town  commissioner  of  highways.  For  three  terms  he 
was  the  treasurer  of  the  board  of  highway  commissioners.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  fire  department,  of  which  he  was  the  organizer  and  its  first  chief. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


FRANKLIN  P.   PERKINS. 


The  manager  of  the  extensive  business  of  the  Hotchkiss  Beef  Company 
at  Port  Chester,  Mr.  Franklin  P.  Perkins,  is  a  capable  business  man  and  a 
representative  citizen  who  is  entitled  to  mention  as  such  in  this  volume.  He 
was  born  March  28,  1855,  at  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  where  he  grew  up  and 
obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  nine  years  he  left 
home  to  live  with  an  aunt  on  a  farm,  and  there  he  learned  the  heavy  duties 
pertaining  to  agricultural  life,  and  continued  therein  until  nineteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  was  employed  in  a  butcher  shop  in  Litchfield  and  Naugatuck, 


41 


642  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Connecticut,  and  he  continued  tlius  engaged  for  twelve  years.  Two  years  of 
this  time  he  also  ran  a  shop  for  himself.  Next,  for  a  time  he  was  employed 
in  a  wholesale  beef  house  for  Mr.  Hotchkiss  in  Yonkers,  and  finally  came  to 
Port  Chester,  where  for  a  year  he  conducted  business  on  his  own  account, 
and  then,  in  1894,  he  sold  his  shop  to  take  his  present  position,  where  his 
responsibilities  are  heavy,  as  the  house  is  a  large  one  and  doing  an  extensive 
business,  handling  about  two  car-loads  of  meat  each  week  and  furnishing  the 
neighboring  towns  with  choice  meats. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Perkins  is  a  Democrat,  but  he  prefers  to 
devote  his  energies  to  private  business  rather  than  take  any  part  in  the  per- 
sonalities of  politics. 

In  matrimony  he  was  united  with  Miss  Elsie  H.  Scott,  of  Goshen,  Con- 
.necticut,  and  they  have  two  daughters. 


PAULDING  AND  REQUA  HOUSES. 

There  are  several  old  houses  in  Tarrytown  that  have  a  history  going 
back  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  some  of  them  even  far  beyond  it.  The 
most  famous  of  these  probably  is  known  as  the  Paulding  house.  It  is  a 
frame  building,  situated  on  Water  street,  and  almost  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  the  cove,  which  there  sets  in  from  the  river.  It  is  not  more  than  three 
minutes  walk  from  the  Hudson  River  Railroad  depot.  The  track  of  the  road 
is  quite  near  it,  and  the  house  is  plainly  visible  from  the  car  windows,  but 
is  now  very  much  dilapidated, — in  fact,  in  a  half  tumble-down  condition, 
-with  the  floors  rotted  away,  the  rooms  damp  and  deserted,  the  green  moss 
-growing  on  the  roof,  which  consists  of  three  layers  of  shingles,  the  lower- 
most being  of  cedar,  the  one  put  on  upon  the  top  of  the  other,  as,  after 
long  intervals,  there  was  occasion  to  make  repairs. 

No  one  would  imagine  from  looking  at  the  house  and  its  surroundings 
now  that  it  had  ever  been  the  seat  of  elegant  culture  and  refinement,  where 
distinguished  men  and  lovely  women  met  and  enjoyed  the  pleasures  of  a 
brilliant  social  life.  Yet  here  it  was  that  James  Kirke  Paulding,  so  eminent 
in  the  ranks  of  early  American  authorship,  the  intimate  friend  and  literary 
collaborator  of  Washington  Irving,  and  secretary  of  the  navy  under  Presi- 
dent Van  Buren,  lived  from  the  close  of  the  Revolution  until  the  year  i8oo, 
when  he  removed  to  New  York  city.  And  from  this  house  it  was  that  Wash- 
ington Irving,  then  a  very  young  man,  and  a  guest  in  the  Paulding  family, 
went  for  half  a  day  of  boating  on  the  river,  and  rowed  down  to  Wolfert's 
Roost,  where,  going  ashore,  and  loitering  along  the  slopes  and  in  the  glen, 
the  tranquil  beauty  and  sweet  attractiveness  of  the  place  so  deeply  impressed 
him  that  he  then  first  conceived  the  idea,   which  he  long  afterward  carried 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  6^3 

out,  of  buying  it  as  a  home  for  himself.  Mr.  Irving  made  this  statement  in 
a  conversation  with  the  late  Mrs.  Benson  Ferris,  in  the  presence  of  her  son, 
Mr.  Benson  Ferris,  Jr.,  president  of  the  Westchester  County  Savings  Bank, 
who  distinctly  remembers  it,  and  communicated  the  fact  to  the  writer.  The 
garden  and  grounds  around  the  Paulding  house  are  said  to  have  been  always 
kept  in  the  best  of  tasteful  order,  and  the  place  altogether  to  have  presented 
every  feature  of  a  bright  and  beautiful  home.  But  it  has  had  its  day  and 
served  its  purpose,  and  all  tokens  now  indicate  that  decay  will  soon  lay  the 
old  mansion  in  the  dust. 

Just  north  of  it,  on  the  corner  of  the  street  leading  down  to  the  cove, 
is  the  old  house  owned  and  occupied  in  those  early  days  by  Judge  Isaac 
Requa,  long  since  passed  away.  That,  too,  was  a  place  of  home  comfort 
and  happiness,  almost  as  well  kept  and  as  attractive  as  the  Paulding  place 
adjoining.  But  that  also,  like  its  long-time  neighbor,  must  soon  yield  to  the 
inevitable  law. 

BENONI  PLATT. 

This  gentleman,  who  is  the  manager  of  the  search  department  of  the 
Westchester  county  branch  of  the  Lawyers'  Title  Insurance  Company,  with 
office  at  White  Plains,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Scarsdale,  this  county,  in 
August,  1857,  the  son  of  Lewis  C.  Piatt  and  Laura  (Popham)  Piatt,  of 
Scarsdale.     (See  sketch  of  Lewis  C.  Piatt.) 

Mr.  Piatt  was  educated  in  the  public  school,  graduating  at  the  White 
Plains  high  school,  and  commenced  his  business  career  as  an  assistant  clerk 
in  the  surrogate's  office,  under  Owen  T.  Coffen,  and  continued  there  for 
eight  years,  and  then  for  nine  years  was  deputy  county  clerk,  under  the 
Hon.  John  Digney.  In  January,  1896,  he  took  charge  of  the  search  depart- 
ment of  the  Westchester  county  branch  of  the  Lawyers'  Title  Insurance  Com- 
pany at  White  Plains,  which  position  he  is  now  filling,  with  satisfaction  to 
his  employers,  who  are  equally  interested  in  satisfying  the  public. 

He  is  a  member  of  Hebron  Lodge,  No.  229,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  is  unmarried. 


A  REVOLUTIONARY  REMINISCENCE. 

In  an  interview  with  the  Rev.  Alexander  Van  Wart,  in  his  home  at 
Pleasantville,  on  June  15,  1885,  he  gave  to  the  writer,  among  other  recitals, 
the  following: 

His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Rachel  Storms,  and  her  house  was  just 
down  the  hill  toward  the  west  of  the  "Four  Corners,"  on  the  Tarrytown 
road.      His  maternal  uncle,  Nicholas  Storms,  lived  there  at  the  same  time. 


644  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Looking  up  toward  the  east  one  day  he  saw  a  military  company  manoeuver- 
ing  at  the  Four  Corners,  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  near  Young's  house,  and, 
supposing  them  to  be  Americans,  he  mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  up  to  learn 
the  news.  He  did  not  discover  until  he  was  right  in  front  of  them  that  they 
were  British  troops  out  on  a  scouting  and  foraging  expedition.  It  was  too 
late  to  retreat,  for  they  saw  him,  and  so,  putting  on  a  bold  face,  he  rode  up 
and  inquired  of  them  what  was  the  news.  They  ordered  him  to  dismount, 
took  him  prisoner  and  kept  his  horse.  His  sister,  Rachel  Storms,  afterward 
the  wife  of  Isaac  Van  Wart,  one  of  the  captors  of  Andre,  was  sent  to  beg  for 
her  brother's  release.  She  did  so,  and  to  such  good  purpose  that  one  of 
the  soldiers  said  to  the  others,  "Oh,  she  must  be  his  sweetheart.  Let's  give 
him  up."  And  they  did.  She  was  sent  back  a  second  time,  to  beg  for  a 
cow  they  had  taken,  and  then,  too,  she  gained  her  request. 

Mr.  Van  Wart,  after  speaking  of  the  fact  that  his  father  had  sold  the 
farm  given  to  him  by  congress,  in  Putnam  county,  and  had  purchased  the 
Young  place,  at  the  Four  Corners,  described  the  somewhat  elevated  sandy 
field  just  north  of  the  corners,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Unionville  road,  as 
the  place  where  some  thirteen  American  and  three  British  soldiers,  who  fell 
in  the  fight  at  Young's  house,  were  buried,  and,  he  added,  "I  have  plowed 
many  a  furrow  over  the  graves  of  those  who  were  there  killed." 


ISAAC  R.   TRIPP. 


Mr.  Tripp,  who  is  the  efficient  justice  of  the  peace  of  North  Castle  town- 
ship and  one  of  the  most  prosperous  agriculturists  of  the  locality,  was  born 
April  ir,  1856,  on  the  farm  which  he  still  occupies.  This  old  homestead 
has  been  in  the  possession  of  the  family  since  1825,  when  it  was  purchased  by 
his  grandfather,  Isaac  Tripp.  He  was  born  in  1792,  about  one  mile  from 
that  place,  in  the  same  township,  and  was  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Abigail 
(Birdsall)  Tripp.  The  birth  of  Benjamin  Tripp  also  occurred  upon  that 
farm,  where  his  father,  Anthony  Tripp,  had  located  when  this  section  was 
almost  an  unbroken  wilderness.  The  last  named  was  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  on  coming  to  this  country  he  first  located  in  Rhode  Island,  and 
throughout  life  he  engaged  in  farming.  His  son  Benjamin  was  likewise  a 
farmer  and  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty,  but  his  wife  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-eight  years  at 
the  time  of  her  death.  Their  son  Isaac,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was  both 
a  farmer  and  mechanic.  He  erected  a  sawmill,  which  he  successfully  oper- 
ated, and  also  engaged  in  coopering  and  chair-making,  being  quite  well-to- 
do  at  the  time  of  his  death,  though  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  empty- 
handed.      He  never  aspired  to  official  honors,  but  was  reserved  in  manner 


y^L^c^^^^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  645 

and  domestic  in  taste.  He  departed  this  life  at  the  age  of  ninety-one,  and 
his  wife  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine.  In  their  family  were  two  children:  John, 
the  father  of  our  subject;  and  Mary,  now  the  widow  of  Walter  Sutton  and  a 
resident  of  Bedford  Station. 

John  Tripp  has  throughout  life  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising, 
and  has  also  operated  the  old  sawmill  erected  by  his  father.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  best  and  most  reliable  citizens  of  his  community,  his 
course  having  ever  been  such  as  to  command  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and 
is  now  a  Republican.  He  married  Miss  Cornelia  Reynolds,  who  died  in 
i860,  leaving  two  children,  our  subject  being  the  older.  Stephen  R.,  born 
March  29,  1858,  is  now  a  resident  of  San  Francisco,  California,  and  is  en- 
gaged in  business  in  connection  with  the  electric  railroad  works.  The  father 
is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 

Isaac  R.  Tripp  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  township  and  has 
always  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  owning  and  operating  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  his  part  of  the  county.  It  comprises  one  hundred  and  ten  acres, 
which  he  has  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  which  is  improved  with 
excellent  buildings.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1878,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Josephine  Hobby,  who  was  born  in  Banksville,  North  Castle 
township,  this  county,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Deborah  A.  (Mead) 
Hobby.  To  them  have  been  born  four  children,  namely:  John  H.,  Cor- 
nelia D.,  Alice  and  Annie.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  are  numbered  among  the  county's  most  worthy  and 
respected  citizens.  For  seven  years  Mr.  Tripp  has  most  acceptably  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  socially  he  is  identified  with  the  Junior  Order  of 
American  Mechanics. 

HENRY  ROSSITER  WORTHINGTON. 

The  Worthington  Memorial  chapel,  a  fine  stone  building,  was  erected  in 
1883,  as  a  memorial  to  the  late  Henry  Rossiter  Worthington,  by  his  widowed 
wife.  It  is  built  on  a  portion  of  the  somewhat  extensive  landed  property 
which  Mr.  Worthington  owned  in  the  Nepperhan  valley  at  the  time  of  his 
decease.  His  mortal  remains  lie  in  a  vault  under  the  chancel.  It  is  a  taste- 
ful structure,  and  is  said  to  have  cost  altogether  about  twenty  thousand 
dollars.  The  building  itself  and  the  grounds  adjoining,  together  with  the 
inclosure,  are  kept  in  excellent  order,  which  must  involve,  in  addition,  a  con- 
siderable expense. 

The  following  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Worthington  is  from  the 
transactions  of  the  American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers  for  the  year 
1 88 1,  he  having  been  vice-president  of  the  organization: 


646  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

The  wide  and  profound  expressions  of  regret  at  the  sudden  decease  of  Mr.  Worthington 
among  his  professional  acquaintances  and  in  the  great  circles  of  his  friends  were  first,  and 
largely,  an  expression  of  personal  bereavement.  He  had  earned  a  high  place  as  an  ingenious 
inventor  and  a  successful  engineer,  and  his  work  will  leave  an  indelible  impression  upon  pro- 
fessional practice,  but  the  influence  and  the  traditions  of  him  as  a  man  and  a  friend  will  outlive 
generations  of  engineers. 

The  foundation  of  this  mingled  esteem  and  affection  was  his  intense  and  abiding  love  of 
the  truth.  The  foundation  was  built  upon  by  scientific  methods,  and  the  structure  was  adorned 
by  personal  graces  and  accomplishments.  The  love  of  truth  that  came  from  a  high-minded 
ancestry  was  nurtured  by  his  professional  pursuits,  for  his  profession,  unlike  some  other  pro- 
fessions— and  this  is  their  misfortune,  not  their  fault — has  an  inevitable  criterion,  and  that  is 
the  truth.  This  sentiment — for  it  grew  in  him  from  a  conviction  to  a  sentiment — not  only  con- 
trolled his  professional  and  private  conduct,  but  it  stimulated  in  him  an  honest  skepticism 
regarding  those  beliefs  in  general  which  have  come  down  to  us  with  no  higher  authority  than 
that  they  are  an  inheritance.  He  was  a  willing  and  valiant  assailant  of  "humbug"  in  every 
form,  and,  nobler  than  this,  he  was  the  patient  iconoclast  who  dispelled  the  phantoms  in  the 
mind  of  many  an  inventor,  and  who  saved  many  a  plodding  experimenter — not  in  applied 
science  only — from  impending  disaster.  He  was  also  endowed  with  a  grand  humanity  which 
practice  perfected.  Nor  were  his  friends,  so  called,  the  sole  beneficiaries;  only  a  long  and  inti- 
mate fellowship  with  him  has  discovered  many  of  his  private  charities,  and  half  of  them  will 
probably  never  be  known. 

These  attributes  found  apt  and  eloquent  expression  in  his  scholarly  culture  and  brilliancy, 
in  his  spontaneous  and  perennial  wit.  As  the  patient,  but  not  generally  impassioned,  advocate 
of  truth,  or  as  the  exposer  of  a  fallacy  or  an  imposture  by  analysis,  by  analogy,  by  ridicule,  he 
had  few  equals.  And,  to  crown  all,  was  his  overflowing  good-fellowship, — with  all  his  serious 
thoughts  and  moods,  his  love  of  humor  and  mirth,  of  intimate  talks  with  groups  of  friends, 
rambling  from  grave  to  gay,  when  all  his  truth  and  his  kind  and,  withal,  fantastic  inspirations 
would  grow  into  bloom.  It  was  an  education  to  hear  him  talk  when  the  subject  was  large 
enough  to  move  him. 

The  time  is  not  ripe  to  analyze  Mr.  Worthington's  contributions  to  the  engineering 
specialty,  in  which  he  did  not  claim,  but  in  which  he  was  assigned,  by  general  consent,  the 
highest  place.  Mr.  Worthington  was  undoubtedly  the  first  proposer  and  constructor  of  the 
direct  steam  pump.  The  duplex  system  in  pumping-engines — one  engine  actuating  the  steam 
valves  of  the  other,  causing  a  pause  of  the  pistons  at  the  end  of  the  stroke,  so  that  the  water 
valves  can  seat  themselves  quietly,  and  preserve  a  uniform  water  pressure,  this  being  a  vast 
improvement  on  the  Cornish  engine— is  generally  admitted  to  be  one  of  the  most  ingenious  and 
effective,  and  certainly  one  of  the  most  largely  applied,  advances  in  modern  engineering. 

Mr.  Worthington  was  chiefly  known  as  a  hydraulic  engineer,  but  apart  from  this  specialty, 
his  experimental  and  practical  contributions  to  other  departments  of  engineering,  such  as  canal 
steam  navigation,  compound  engines,  instruments  of  precision  and  machinery  tools,  would 
entitle  him  to  a  high  position  in  the  profession. 

Mr.  Worthington  was  born  December  17,  1817,  and  died  December  17,  1880.  His  ances- 
tors in  America  were  sprung  from  Sir  Nicholas  Worthington,  of  Worthington,  England,  who 
died  at  Naseby,  for  King  Charles,  and  they  came  to  America  in  1649. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  trace  the  history  of  this  family,  especially  the  grand  old  father, 
Asa  Worthington.  A  minute  review  of  the  life  of  Henry  Rossiter  Worthington,  with  its  multi- 
tudinous benefactions  of  invention,  of  counsel,  of  entertainment,  would  also  be  pleasing  and 
instructive,  but  this  is  not  the  time  nor  the  place. 

His  mortal  remains  lie  on  the  edge  of  the  old  rocks  which  geologists  call  the  primal  con- 
tinent, and  every  following  cycle  furnishes  some  stone  to  lay  on  his  grave.  So  his  immortal 
remains  illustrate  every  phase  of  progress,  from  silurian  instinct— to  live— to  the  last  formula 
of  civilization — to  let  live. 

Mr.  Worthington  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  but  his  parents  soon  after  removed  to 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  647 

Brooklyn,  where  they  continued  to  reside  for  many  years.  His  father,  Asa  Worthington,  at  one 
period  held  the  position  of  consul  at  Lima,  South  America,  which  appointment  he  retained  for 
a  number  of  years.  He  was,  at  the  time,  connected  with  the  business  firm  of  Wetmore,  Chaun- 
cey,  Cryder  &  Company,  who  had  an  establishment  house  in  Lima. 

Mr.  Worthington's  wife  was  Miss  Newton,  daughter  of  the  late  Commodore  John  T.  New- 
ton, United  States  Navy.  She,  with  four  children,  survived  him,— Amelia  Stuart  (wife  of  T. 
Whiteside  Rae,  civil  engineer,  formerly  connected  with  the  United  States  Navy);  Henry  Fraser; 
Sarah  Newton  (wife  of  William  Lanman  Bull,  a  banker  in  Wall  street),  and  Charles  Campbell 
(who  succeeded  his  father  as  an  hydraulic  engineer  in  the  business  which  he  founded). 

The  mortal  remains  of  Mr.  Worthington  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  Memorial  chapel  built  by 
his  widow,  at  Nepperhan  valley,  near  Irvington. 


ISAAC  MONMOUTH   HUNT. 

A  prominent  agriculturist  of  White  Plains,  Westchester  county,  New 
York,  Isaac  M.  Hunt  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Harriet  (Guion)  Hunt,  and 
was  born  in  New  York  city,  May  27,  1837.  John  Hunt,  the  great-great- 
grandfather of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Shropshire,  England,  in  1707,  and  in 
1725,  when  but  eighteen  years  old,  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Hacken- 
sack,  New  Jersey,  and  from  there  moved  to  the  town  of  Greenburg,  in 
Westchester  county,  New  York,  which  at  that  time  was  a  part  of  Philips 
Manor.  He  married  Aletha  Hunt,  who  was  born  in  171 1.  They  were  the 
parents  of  five  daughters  and  four  sons.  The  great-grandfather,  Thomas 
Hunt,  married  a  lady  whose  maiden  name  was  Sarah  Sloate.  Isaac  Hunt, 
the  grandfather,  was  born  in  Putnam  county,  New  York,  in  1771,  and  lived 
in  the  town  of  Greenburg.  He  married  Susanna  Purdy,  of  White  Plains, 
New  York,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Purdy,  of  that  place. 

Thomas  Hunt,  the  father,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenburg  in  1798, 
and  was  for  many  years  a  merchant  in  the  city  of  New  York,  although  he 
made  his  home  in  his  native  township  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1 882. 
He  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  a  faithful  worker  in  that 
body.  He  was  united  in  matrimony  to  Miss  Harriet  Guion,  a  daughter  of 
Monmouth  and  Anna  (Lyons)  Guion.  The  family  trace  their  ancestry  back  to 
the  time  of  the  persecution  of  the  Christians  in  1682,  when  so  many  of  the 
French  Huguenots  came  to  this  country  to  escape  this  persecution.  Among 
the  number  was  the  founder  of  the  Guion  family  in  America.  Harriet 
Guion  Hunt  was  born  in  New  York  in  1798,  and  died  in  1883,  at  a  good  old 
age.  She  left  the  following  children:  Susan  A.,  wife  of  James  Elliott; 
Benjamin  G.,  who  died  in  1887;  Thomas  P.;  Harriet  E.,  spinster;  and 
Isaac  M.,  our  subject. 

Isaac  M.  Hunt  received  his  primary  education  in  the  district  schools, 
and  then  attended  a  select  school  taught  by  an  Episcopalian  clergyman,  the 
Rev.  Augustus  Striker.      He  then  returned  to  the  farm,  and,  having  a  natural 


e48  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

as  well  as  acquired  aptitude  for  agriculture,  he  still  resides  there  and  has 
acquired  a  considerable  property.  His  two  sisters  make  their  home  with 
him  on  the  old  homestead,  among  lifelong  friends.  He  is  a  pronounced 
Democrat  and  has  served  as  assessor  of  the  town  of  Greenburg  for  fifteen 
years.  He  was  a  school  trustee  for  one  term.  He  is  kindly  by  nature, 
treasures  few  resentments,  and  is  ever  ready  to  do  a  favor,  while  in  every 
transaction  he  is  honest,  upright,  and  honorable  to  a  fault.  He  is  a  man  of 
commanding  presence  and  amiable  and  engaging  manners,  and  his  extreme 
popularity  in  the  community  is  but  a  natural  sequence. 


HON.  EDWIN  W.  FISKE. 


The  name  of  this  gentleman  is  one  which  has  figured  conspicuously  on 
the  pages  of  Mount  Vernon's  history  during  the  last  ten  years.  By  reason  of 
his  strong  mentality,  engaging  personality  and  recognized  ability,  he  has 
become  a  leader  in  public  thought  and  action,  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  the 
municipal  government,  administering  the  affairs  of  the  city  with  marked 
loyalty  to  its  best  interests. 

Mr.  Fiske  was  born  in  Shamokin,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  17th  of  July, 
1 86 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Amanda  (Stoddard)  Fiske.  The  father 
was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  descending  from  good,  old  Puritan  ancestry.  His 
father  was  Samuel  Fiske,  also  a  native  of  the  Bay  state,  the  original  Ameri- 
can home  of  the  Pilgrims.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. In  the  public  schools  of  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  Edwin  W. 
Fiske  acquired  his  education,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  entered  upon  his 
business  career,  by  beginning  an  apprenticeship  to  learn  the  process  of  man- 
ufacturing Bessemer  steel  in  the  work  of  the  Pennsylvania  Steel  Company, 
at  Steelton,  Pennsylvania.  From  that  place  he  removed  to  New  York  city, 
where  for  more  than  fifteen  years  he  has  now  successfully  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  a  dealer  in  steam  and  hot-water  heaters,  supplying  these  to  large 
buildings  on  contract.  He  is  energetic,  enterprising  and  capable,  and  his 
sagacity  and  well  managed  interests  have  brought  to  him  a  very  handsome 
competence. 

Mr.  Fiske  makes  his  home  in  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  located  about 
1885,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the  public  inter- 
ests of  the  town.  In  1889  and  1890  he  served  the  old  second  ward  as  a 
member  of  the  board  of  village  trustees,  and  in  1893  he  was  elected  alderman 
from  the  present  second  ward  against  a  strong  competitor.  While  serving 
in  that  capacity  he  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  streets  and  sidewalks, 
and  in  that  capacity  did  much  toward  improving  the  streets  and  avenues.  In 
1894  he  was  the  unanimous  choice  of  the  Democratic  party  for  the  office  of 


^i^^ii^^:?^^     ^^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  649 

mayor,  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  city  government.  His  administration 
is  both  progressive  and  practical,  and  while  he  favors  every  movement  tend- 
ing toward  the  welfare  and  improvement  of  the  city,  at  the  same  time  he 
brings  to  bear  upon  all  new  measures  introduced  the  calm,  unbiased  judg- 
ment of  a  reliable  and  sagacious  business  man.  He  is  unfaltering  in  support 
of  the  principles  of  his  party,  and  his  information  concerning  the  political 
issues  of  the  day  is  comprehensive  and  accurate.  In  other  ways  Mr.  Fiske 
has  also  been  connected  with  the  public  affairs  at  Mount  Vernon.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  here  he  became  connected  with  Steamer  Company  No.  3,  of 
the  city  fire  department,  and  soon  was  made  its  foreman.  That  office  he 
filled  for  three  years  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  all,  when  he 
was  elected  chief  of  the  fire  department.  For  four  years  he  filled  the  latter 
office  and  did  much  toward  securing  better  equipment,  better  discipline  and 
better  service  in  every  way.  He  is  also  interested  in  social  as  well  as  polit- 
ical matters,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Inter- 
national Association  of  Fire  Engineers  of  the  World.  He  has  been  president 
and  treasurer  of  the  Firemen's  Benevolent  Association  of  this  city;  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Hiawatha  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Mount  Vernon  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ; 
Bethlehem  Commandery,  K.  T. ;  Mecca  Shrine,  of  New  York  city;  Lodge  No. 
I,  B.  P.  O.  E. ,  of  New  York  city;  Sons  of  the  Revolution  of  New  York  State, 
and  Golden  Rod  Council,  Royal  Arcanum. 

Mr.  Fiske  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Smith,  daughter  of 
the  late  Henry  C.  Smith,  the  first  president  of  the  People's  Bank,  of  Mount 
Vernon,  and  a  prominent  citizen.  They  now  have  three  children,  two  sons 
and  a  daughter.  Their  position  in  the  highest  society  is  assured,  and  they 
enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  in  Mount  Vernon.  Mr.  Fiske  is  a 
man  whose  business  career  conforms  to  the  strictest  ethics  of  commercial 
life;  whose  public  career  has  been  marked  by  the  most  unquestioned  fidelity 
to  duty,  and  whose  private  life  commands  the  respect  of  all,  while  his  cordial, 
genial  manner  renders  him  a  pleasant  companion  and  has  made  him  very 
popular  among  all  classes. 


S.   R.   SHEAR. 


S.  R.  Shear  is  a  son  of  Clark  A.  and  Lucretia  Shear.  He  was  born  in 
Orwell,  New  York,  and  lived  there  until  five  years  of  age.  He  afterward 
lived  with  his  parents  in  Boylston  and  Richland,  Oswego  county,  and  West 
Camden,  Oneida  county.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  was  taken  by  his 
uncle,  Wallace  E.  Shear,  of  Stittsville,  Oneida  county,  and  lived  with  him 
for  several  years,  in  that  time  receiving  an  academic  education  at  the  Hol- 
land Patent  Union  School,  after  which  he  returned  to  Oswego  county  and 


650  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

taught  school  two  winters  at  Ricard.  He  completed  his  education  at  the 
Oswego  Normal  School,  and  then  became  principal  of  the  Orwell  village 
school,  and  later  principal  of  school  No.  8,  Mexico  village.  In  1890  he  be- 
came principal  of  the  Pulaski  graded  schools,  holding  that  position  for  two 
years.  In  September,  1892,  when  the  Pulaski  Academy  and  graded  schools 
were  consolidated,  he  assumed  control  of  the  entire  system.  Under  his  man- 
agement the  enrollment  in  the  academic  department  increased  from  thirty 
to  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and  the  teaching  force  from  seven  to  twelve.  In 
1897  he  resigned  his  position  as  principal  of  the  Pulaski  Union  School  and 
Academy,  to  accept  the  superintendency  of  the  White  Plains  pubhc  schools, 
a  position  which  he  now  holds. 

He  was  married  in  1889,  to  Miss  Nettie  Reynolds,  of  Orwell,  and  they 
have  one  daughter.  Rose  Elizabeth,  born  June  27,  1891.  Mr.  Shear  is  a 
Royal  Arch  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
an  active  member  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  having  been  captain  of  A.  S. 
Warren  Camp,  No.   105,  for  two  years. 


SOLOMON   MEAD. 


The  Mead  family  went  originally  from  Somersetshire,  or  Devonshire, 
into  county  Essex,  England,  during  the  reign  of  King  Henry  VI  (A.  D. 
1422),  and  first  settled  at  Elmdon.  There  seems  to  have  been  eight  distinct 
families  of  the  name  in  England,  known  by  their  respective  coats-of-arms, 
four  having  the  pelican  and  four  the  trefoil  as  their  heraldic  design.  A  num- 
ber of  distinguished  individuals  were  numbered  among  these  English  fami- 
lies; among  others,  Rev.  Matthew  Mead,  a  celebrated  non-conformist  divine 
in  the  reign  of  Charles  I,  and  his  son.  Dr.  Richard,  who  was  appointed  physi- . 
cian  in  ordinary  to  King  George  II,  and  who  first  practiced  inoculation  in 
England.  The  name  is  spelled  both  with  and  without  the  final  "e. "  The 
Earl  of  Clan- William  line  always  used  the  "e. "  That  family  is  of  Irish 
extraction,  and  is  the  one  from  which  the  Meades  of  Virginia  are  derived. 
In  England  the  spelling  was  variable. 

The  family  in  this  country,  at  least  that  portion  which  settled  in  Fair- 
field county,  Connecticut,  preserved  the  tradition  that  two  brothers  came 
over  from  England,  and  that  one  stopped  at  the  eastward,  while  the  other 
came  to  "  Horse-neck  "  (Greenwich),  Connecticut.  The  tradition  is  possibly 
correct,  as  a  Gabriel  Mead  and  David  Mead  settled  in  Lexington,  Massachu- 
setts. Gabriel  was  born  in  1587  and  died  in  1666,  aged  seventy-nine.  A 
son,  Israel,  was  born  in  1639,  and  there  were  several  daughters.  David  was 
possibly  also  a  son  of  Gabriel,  though  he  does  not  seem  to  be  mentioned  in 
the  will.     The  first  record  of  any  Mead  in  Fairfield  county,  Connecticut,  is 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  651 

the  following  in  Stamford  town  records:  "  December  7,  1641,  William  Mayd 
received  from  the  town  of  Stamford  a  house,  lot  and  five  acres  of  land." 
The  date,  1641,  agrees  with  the  Lexington  dates  and  seems  to  bear  out 
the  tradition  of  the  family  as  mentioned.  This  William  is  the  ancestor  of 
the  Fairfield  county  Meads.  We  have  record  of  three  children,  though  there 
were  probably  four.  A  son  who  died  about  1657  is  noted  in  Huntington's 
History  of  Stamford. 

The  three  children  of  William  of  whom  we  have  record  are  Joseph,  born 
1630,  died  1690;  Martha,  married  John  Richardson,  of  Stamford;  and  John, 
the  ancestor  of  the  Greenwich  Meads.  Both  Joseph  and  John  were  settled 
for  a  time  at  Hempstead,  Long  Island,  but  they  afterward  removed  to  Fair- 
field county  and  located  there.  John  purchased  land  of  Richard  Crab,  and 
the  deed  is  dated  October  26,  1660.  The  descendants  of  William  are  prac- 
tically innumerable. 

The  Westchester  county  branch  was  established  in  the  town  of  Lewis- 
boro  (then  South  Salem),  about  the  year  1776,  by  Colonel  Enoch  Mead,  a 
brother  of  Major-General  Ebenezer  Mead,  of  Greenwich,  Connecticut. 
Colonel  Mead  married,  at  the  age  of  twenty.  Miss  Jemima  Mead,  daughter  of 
Caleb  Mead,  of  Greenwich,  who  was  in  her  twentieth  year.  He  and  his 
young  bride  made  a  journey  of  exploration  up  into  Massachusetts  on  horse- 
back, but  returned  and  settled  on  a  ridge  traversed  by  the  New  York  and 
Albany  post-road,  about  half  a  mile  south  of  Lake  Waccabuc.  Here  he 
built  a  log  house,  in  which  he  was  still  living  when  the  war  of  the  Revolution 
broke  out,  and  in  which  was  born  his  oldest  son.  Colonel  Solomon  Mead, 
but  from  which  he  soon  removed  to  the  house,  still  standing,  which  is  owned 
and  occupied  by  his  descendants.  Colonel  Enoch  Mead  was  a  man  of  great 
energy  and  ability,  and  his  wife,  who  long  survived  him,  was  a  woman  of 
heroic  resolution  and  indomitable  courage.  Many  traditions  are  preserved 
in  the  family  of  their  patriotic  and  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the  national 
cause  and  of  the  risks  they  ran, — of  the  swift  horse  which  had  to  be  kept  in 
the  cellar;  of  the  repulse  of  a  band  of  marauding  cowboys  by  the  youthful 
matron  alone,  except  for  an  infant  child  and  a  negro  slave  boy;  and  of  the 
flight  of  the  little  household  into  the  woods  at  the  rumored  approach  of  the 
enemy.  Colonel  Enoch  Mead  served  at  one  time  on  the  staff  of  his  brother, 
the  general,  but  managed,  while  the  war  was  still  in  progress,  to  get  his  new 
house  built  for  his  young  wife.  Here  their  family  of  nine  children  were 
born,  six  of  them  living  to  a  good  old  age,  and  the  other  three  dying  in  child- 
hood and  early  youth.  Here  the  oldest  son.  Colonel  Solomon,  died  in  1870, 
at  the  great  age  of  ninety-two  years.      The  place  is  now  known  as  Elmdon. 

Colonel  Solomon  was,  like  his  father,  a  man  of  uncommon  ability,  and 
through  his  long  life  his  services  were  in  constant  demand  as  a  friendly  ad- 


•652  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

viser  and  arbitrator.  He  also  married  very  young,  wedding,  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  Miss  Eunice  Gilbert,  aged  nineteen.  The  oldest  son  of  this  youth- 
ful couple,  Jacob  Gilbert  Mead,  died  at  his  place,  a  few  hundred  yards  to  the 
northward,  in  1884,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four.  Colonel  Solomon, 
as  were  his  parents  and  a  number  of  his  children,  was  buried  in  the  family 
burying-ground,  about  one-quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  his  former  residence. 

The  eastern  boundary  of  the  farm  was  formerly  that  of  Cortlandt  Manor, 
— the  so-called  twenty  mile  line,  which  divided  it  from  Connecticut, — and 
the  rude  monument  erected  by  the  commissioners  in  1734,  to  mark  an  angle 
of  the  line,  is  still  standing  in  the  stone  wall  of  which  it  forms  a  part. 

The  second  son,  Alfred  (or  as  he  always,  for  some  unaccountable  reason, 
spelled  it,  Alphred),  was  established  a  little  way  down  the  road,  and  before 
many  years  eight  comfortable  houses  in  succession,  on  as  many  flourishing 
farms,  were  occupied  by  members  of  the  family,  all  bearing  the  family  name, 
so  that  the  road  became  known  as  Mead  street.  The  first  minister  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  South  Salem  was  Parson  Solomon  Mead,  who  was  an 
uncle  of  Colonel  Enoch  Mead.  He  was  settled  May  19,  1752,  and  remained 
in  charge  until  shortly  before  his  death,  in  1812,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  He 
was  very  eccentric  and  grew  more  so  as  age  increased  upon  him.  Many 
amusing  stories  have  been  told  of  his  peculiarities.  He  lies  buried  in  the 
cemetery  at  South  Salem,  and  a  neat  tombstone  marks  his  resting  place. 


MILTON  C.  PALMER. 


An  attorney  at  law  of  Sing  Sing,  and  now  serving  as  police  justice  of 
the  village,  Mr.  Palmer  is  well  known  as  a  successful  educator  through 
eleven  years  of  faithful  and  efficient  service.  Although  he  has  recently 
retired  from  teaching,  his  work  will  not  readily  be  forgotten  by  the  many  who 
■have  been  helped  by  him  along  the  steep,  and  sometimes  weary,  path  of 
knowledge. 

Mr.  Palmer  was  bcrn  in  Sing  Sing,  April  29,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Rich- 
ard and  Charlotte  (Lawrence)  Palmer.  The  mother  is  now  deceased,  but 
the  father  is  still  living,  and  makes  his  home  in  Sing  Sing.  Prior  to  the  war 
of  the  Rebellion  he  was  engaged  in  business  in  New  York  city,  but  later  gave 
his  attention  to  farming,  and  is  now  living  retired.  The  family  is  of  English 
origin,  and  was  founded  in  this  country,  in  1638,  by  three  brothers,  James, 
William  and  John,  who  came  from  England  and  located  near  Stonington, 
Connecticut.  In  1695  William  removed  to  Westchester  county,  New  York, 
and  took  up  his  residence  near  New  Rochelle.  It  is  from  him  that  our  sub- 
ject is  descended.  The  next  in  direct  line  to  our  subject  was  Henry  Palmer, 
a  farmer,  who  was  the  father  of  Richard  Palmer,  a  man  of  prominence,  and 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  65a; 

of  considerable  wealth,  for  those  days.  He  held  a  number  of  town  offices. 
The  latter's  son,  Richard  R.  Palmer,  was  the  grandfather  of  our  subject. 
He  was  one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  Sing  Sing,  held  many 
local  offices  of  honor  and  trust,  was  a  man  of  upright,  Christian  character, 
and  held  conspicuous  place  in  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 

Milton  C.  Palmer  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren. The  family  is  identified  with  the  First  Baptist  church,  and  is  quite 
prominent. 

Mr.  Palmer,  of  this  review,  was  principally  reared  in  this  state,  but 
spent  one  year,  from  1872  to  1873,  in  Maine.  He  attended  the  public- 
schools  of  Sing  Sing,  and  graduated,  in  1877,  at  the  head  of  his  class.  Thus 
prepared  for  college,  he  entered  Cornell  University  in  the  fall  of  1877,  and 
graduated  from  that  noted  institution,  in  1881,  with  the  degree  of  B.  S., 
being  the  youngest  in  his  class.  He  at  once  commenced  teaching  school,, 
and  in  1884,  after  a  successful  examination  in  New  York,  was  granted  a 
state  teacher's  life  certificate.  He  successfully  taught  in  the  public  schools 
of  Westchester  county  until  1889,  when  he  established,  at  Sing  Sing,  what 
was  knowii  as  Palmer's  Collegiate  and  Business  School.  In  the  fall  of  1892 
he  entered  the  Columbia  Law  School,  and  was  graduated  therefrom  with  the 
degree  of  LI^.  B.,  in  1895,  but  before  his  graduation  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  on  May  15,  1894.  He  has  since  been  successfully  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  the  law  at  Sing  Sing,  and  on  the  19th  of  March,  1896,  was  elected 
police  justice,  which  office  he  is  now  filling  in  a  most  creditable  manner. 

On  the  23d  of  December,  1891,  Mr.  Palmer  married  Miss  Eliza  D.  Vail, 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Phcebe  B.  (Palmer)  Vail,  in  whose  family  were- 
two  children,  the  younger  being  Indiana,  now  the  wife  of  T.  H.  Calam,  of 
Sing  Sing.  They  belong  to  one  of  the  oldest,  most  highly  respected  and 
prominent  families  of  Westchester  county.  The  father,  who  is  now  deceased,, 
was  a  worthy  representative  of  the  Vail  family,  which  was  founded  in  this 
county  about  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  by  Samuel  VaiL  His 
ancestors  were  from  England  and  the  name  was  formerly  spelled  Veale  and 
Vaile.  Thomas,  the  son  of  Samuel,  is  considered  the  head  of  the  family  in 
Westchester  county.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Friends  church  and  was  one 
of  a  family  of  ten  children,  one  of  whom  was  John  Vail,  the  father  of  Thomas, 
who  had  a  family  of  four  children:  John,  William,  Elizabeth  and  Ann.  The 
second  son,  William,  is  the  father  of  Mrs.  Palmer. 

Politically  Mr.  Palmer  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  as  acting  chairman  of  the  Republican  town  committee  for  two  years  he 
rendered  it  effective  service.  Socially  he  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Sing 
Sing  Yacht  Club,  the  Point  Senasqua  Rod  &  Reel  Club,  the  Westchester 
County  Bar  Association,  and  the  Cornell  Club,  of  New  York  city,  while  relig- 


^54  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

iously  he  is  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Baptist  church  of  Sing  Sing, 
takes  an  active  part  in  all  church  and  Sunday-school  work,  and  for  two  years 
was  president  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 


WILLIAM  PATERSON  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  was  the  second  son  of  the  patroon,  Stephen  Van 
Rensselaer,  of  Albany,  and  was  born  March  6,  1805.,  His  mother  was  a 
daughter  of  Judge  William  Paterson,  of  New  Jersey.  After  graduating  at 
Yale  College,  in  1824,  he  was  commissioned  aid-de-camp  to  Governor  De- 
Witt  Clinton,  with  the  title  of  colonel,  which  post  he  soon  relinquished,  and 
from  1826  spent  four  years  in  Europe,  traveling  extensively  and  pursuing  legal 
studies  in  Edinburg. 

Upon  his  return  he  entered  the  office  of  Peter  A.  Jay,  then  a  well  known 
lawyer  of  New  York.  For  a  number  of  years  afterward  he  resided  in  Albany 
^nd  Rensselaer  county,  but  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life  were  spent  at  his 
home  at  Manursing  island,  near  Rye,  Westchester  county.  He  died  in  New 
York,  November  13,  1872. 

He  inherited  from  his  distinguished  father  many  noted  characteristics. 
Conspicuous  among  these  was  a  true  simplicity.  Free  from  all  pretension 
and  eminently  unselfish,  he  found  his  happiness  in  a  life  of  retirement  and  in 
unobtrusive  but  earnest  endeavors  to  do  good.  A  genuine  sympathy  with 
works  of  Christian  benevolence  was  another  inherited  trait.  He  was  an 
attentive  observer  of  the  great  and  philanthropic  movements  of  the  day  and 
a  most  liberal  supporter  of  every  worthy  cause  whose  claims  were  brought  to 
his  notice. 

A  man  of  noble  impulses  and  clear  convictions,  he  was  no  less  decided 
in  the  rebuke  of  injustice  and  iniquity  than  in  the  approval  of  that  which  was 
good.  The  uprightness  and  elevation,  the  kindliness  and  generosity  of  his 
nature,  his  fine  intellectual  gifts  and  high  culture,  and  with  all  an  unaffected 
humility,  the  fruit  of  true  religion,  made  him  the  marked  example  of  a  Chris- 
tian gentleman. 

WILLIAM  N.  SLATER. 

Numbered  among  the  progressive,  enterprising  business  men  of  Harri- 
son is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Though  he  has  been  here  but  a  few 
years,  dating  from  February,  1894,  he  has  succeeded  in  building  up  a  large 
and  flourishing  business  and  has  made  a  truly  enviable  reputation  for  upright- 
ness, justice  and  courteous  treatment  of  all  with  whom  he  has  entered  into 
iinancial  relations. 

The  Slaters  have  long  been  considered  representative  citizens  of  West- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  655 

Chester  county  and  none  are  more  thoroughly  respected  and  esteemed.  The 
father  and  grandfather  of  our  subject  both  bore  the  Christian  name  of  Abra- 
ham. The  father  is  now  retired  from  active  business  cares,  having  amassed 
a  comfortable  fortune  by  years  of  honest,  industrious  toil  in  his  chosen  voca- 
tion of  building  and  contracting.  He  married  Eva  E.  Schmaling,  a  native 
of  Rye  township,  and  she  has  been  a  true  helpmate  to  him,  sharing  his  joys 
and  sorrows  and  aiding  him  with  her  loving  womanly  sympathy  and  cheer. 
They  became  the  parents  of  five  children,  but  two  of  the  number  are 
deceased.  Abraham  H.  is  engaged  in  businesswith  the  subject  of  this  arti- 
cle, and  the  only  sister,  Mary  G. ,  is  at  home. 

The  birth  of  W.  N.  Slater  occurred  in  this  county,  March  i,  1872,  and 
here  he  grew  to  man's  estate,  receiving  an  excellent  public-school  education 
at  an  academy,  where  he  pursued  an  advanced  course  of  study.  He  was 
initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  business  life  long  before  attaining  his  majority, 
and  he  is  now  a  dealer  in  lumber,  lime,  cement,  brick,  and,  in  short,  almost 
everything  needed  in  the  construction  of  a  house  or  other  building,  and  keeps 
a  full  line  of  hardware,  paints,  oils,  etc.,  in  addition  to  which  he  runs  a 
feed,  grain  and  hay  store.  He  carries  a  very  large  and  well  selected  stock, 
and  strives  to  please  his  customers  as  to  price  and  quality  of  goods.  In 
manner  he  is  genial  and  obliging  and  his  word  is  always  to  be  depended  upon 
to  the  letter.  In  political  matters  he  sides  with  the  Democratic  party,  but 
he  has  given  little  attention  to  politics,  as  his  business  affairs  have  thus  far 
engrossed  his  whole  time. 

Upon  the  24th  of  September,  1896,  Mr.  Slater  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Sarah  B.  Haight,  .a  daughter  of  Thomas  A.  Haight,  an  old  and 
respected  citizen  of  Round  Hill,  Connecticut.  Mrs.  Slater  is  a  lady  of  good 
education  and  attainments  and  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  She 
takes  great  interest  in  religious  and  charitable  enterprises  and  is  aided  by  her 
husband  in  her  many  benevolent  enterprises.  They  have  an  attractive 
home,  where  their  hosts  of  friends  delight  to  congregate. 


GEORGE  GRAB,  Jr. 


The  genial  and  popular  proprietor  of  the  Central  Hotel,  and  also  owner 
of  the  New  Rochelle  BottHng  Works,  of  New  Rochelle,  New  York,  is  one  of 
the  most  enterprising,  energetic  and  successful  business  men  of  this  com- 
munity. He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  Baden,  December  i8,  1861, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Saber)  Grab,  also  natives  of  Baden.  The 
father  was  a  general  business  man,  of  sound  judgment  and  good  executive 
ability,  and  carried  on  operations  in  Germany  until  1892,  when  he  emigrated 
to  America  and  located  in  New  Rochelle,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 


656  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

his  days  in  retirement,  dying  here  August  13,  1897,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years.  His  wife,  who  survives  him,  is  still  living  in  New  Rochelle,  and  is  in 
her  sixty-seventh  year. 

George  Grab,  Jr.,  was  educated  in  Germany,  being  admitted  to  school 
at  the  age  of  six  years  and  continuing  his  studies  until  he  attained  his 
fifteenth  year,  after  which  he  was  variously  employed  in  his  native  land.  It 
was  in  1880  that  he  came  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  the  port  of  New 
York,  and  from  that  city  he  came  at  once  to  New  Rochelle,  where  he  soon 
afterward  entered  the  employ  of  Becker  &  Sons,  and  later  of  Christian 
Becker,  manufacturer  of  fine  scales,  and  with  him  he  remained  for  seven 
years.  He  then  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account,  opening  a  gro- 
cery store  on  Oak  street,  and  also  handling  beer.  In  1890  he  purchased  the 
Central  Hotel,  at  No.  17  North  street.  New  Rochelle,  which  he  has  since 
conducted  in  a  most  successful  manner,  making  his  place  a  favorite  resort 
with  the  traveling  public.  In  1889  he  also  became  agent  for  the  Stevenson 
Brewing  Company,  New  York  city,  which  responsible  position  he  still  holds, 
and  in  1897  he  purchased  the  entire  interest  of  the  New  Rochelle  Bottling 
Company,  and  in  that  branch  of  his  business  also  is  meeting  with  excellent 
success. 

In  1884  Mr.  Grab  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Caroline  Clarius,  of 
New  York  city,  and  they  now  have  two  interesting  children,  a  son  and 
daughter, —  Peter  C.  and  Mamie.  Politically  Mr.  Grab  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, and  is  now  rendering  his  partj'  efficient  service  as  secretary  of  the 
Democratic  town  committee.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Frederick 
Hielig  Lodge,  No.  329,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  and  has.  also  been  a  member  of  the 
Enterprise  Hook  &  Ladder  Company  for  the  past  fifteen  years,,  serving  as  its 
secretary  for  several  years,  and  being  the  second  oldest  member  of  the  com- 
pany now  living. 

JUDGE  STEPHEN  A.  MARSHALL. 
This  honored  resident  of  Port  Chester  was  born  April  18,  1837,  '"  Green- 
wich, Connecticut,  in  which  place  also  his  father,  Gilbert  Marshall,  was  born, 
November  3,  1809.  The  latter  devoted  his  life  to  the  shoe  business,  coming 
in  1859  to  Port  Chester,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  his  death 
occurring  in  1892,  when  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  He 
was  a  Republican  but  not  publicly  active  in  political  matters,  and  in  religion 
he  was  a  Methodist,  being  active  and  efficient  in  church  work,  filling  about 
all  the  lay  offices  in  the  society.  He  had  seven  children,  viz.:  Ann  M., 
wife  of  David  S.  Betts,  of  Port  Chester;  Stephen  A.;  Joseph  H.,  bookkeeper 
and  confidential  man  at  the  Russell,  Birdsall  &  Word  Bolt  &  Nut  Works; 
Leslie  G.,  of  Port  Chester;  Abraham  F.,   of  Greenwich,   Connecticut;  Caro- 


.-e:^^^=C<<^  <S^^^^ 


-^ 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  657 

line  M.,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Riddle,  of  New  York;  and  Sarah  E.,  who  married 
Charles  Joy  and  is  living  in  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  The  eldest  is  now 
sixty-three  years  of  age  and  the  youngest  forty-nine,  and  all  are  married  and 
have  families. 

Stephen  Marshall,  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  also  a 
native  of  Greenwich,  Connecticut,  where  he  passed  all  his  life,  his  occupation 
being  mainly  that  of  running  a  market  sloop  between  Greenwich  and  New 
York.  He  died  in  1837,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years.  Mr.  Gilbert  Marshall 
married  Miss  Deborah  Hoyt,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Thankful  (Benedict) 
Hoyt,  and  she  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  She  also  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Stephen  A.  Marshall,  whose  name  heads  this  brief  sketch,  remained 
at  his  parental  home  attending  the  public  schools  until  fourteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  began  clerking  in  a  grocery  in  Greenwich,  and  continued  there  till 
August  II,  1853,  when  he  came  to  Port  Chester  and  was  clerk  in  a  dry-goods 
store  for  Samuel  Kelley  and  Johnston  A.  Deal  for  about  six  years.  Next  he  was 
engaged  in  the  bakery  business  until  1864,  when  he  sold  out.  Being  elected 
overseer  of  the  poor  in  1862,  he  served  in  that  office  three  years.  Next  he 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Horatio  Seymour  as  a  recruiting  officer  for  West- 
chester county  to  enlist  soldiers  for  the  army,  and  in  this  service  he  went  to 
Washington,  D.  C. ,  in  June,  1864,  and  remained  there  until  the  following 
May,  after  the  war  was  ended.  While  he  was  recruiting  officer  he  paid  out 
a  sum  between  eight  and  nine  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

After  the  war  he  returned  to  Port  Chester  and  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
cigar  and  tobacco  trade,  selling  mostly  to  merchants  in  this  county,  and  fol- 
lowed this  business  for  five  years.  In  1870  he  was  appointed  under-sheriff 
by  Sheriff  Brundige,  and  served  in  that  office  for  three  years;  for  the  subse- 
quent three  years  he  was  out  of  business;  in  1874  Mr.  Brundige  was  again 
elected  sheriff  and  Mr.  Marshall  was  again  appointed  deputy  by  him  and 
served  during  his  term  of  office,  and  also  in  the  same  capacity  under  Sheriff 
James  C.  Courter,  and  one  term  under  Sheriff  Stephen  D.  Horton,  two  terms 
under  Sheriff  Duffy,  and  one  term  under  Sheriff  Schumer, — so  that  altogether 
Mr.  Marshall  was  deputy  sheriff  for  a  period  of  twenty-one  years.  In  1888 
he  was  performing  the  duties  of  his  office  as  deputy  sheriff,  when  he  was 
appointed  justice  of  the  peace  at  Port  Chester,  ever  since  which  time  he  has 
held  the  office.  He  has  a  judicial  mind,  and  the  community  appreciate  his 
painstaking  care  and  impartial  fidelity.  In  his  view  of  national  policies  he  is 
a  Democrat,  and  has  been  active  in  the  interests  of  his  party  ever  since  he 
became  of  age.  From  1869  to  1879  he  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  village 
of  Port  Chester,  and  during  the  latter  year  he  was  elected  president  of  the 
village  and  served  one  term.     Next  he  was  clerk  of  the  village  for  five  years. 

42 


658  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

In  matrimony  Judge  Marshall  was  united  with  Miss  Jane  Leonard,  who 
died  January  27,  1899,  and  they  had  three  children:  Charles  A.,  now  a  pat- 
tern-maker at  the  Birdsall  &  Word  Bolt  and  Nut  Works;  Stephen  Leonard, 
deputy  postmaster  at  Port  Chester;  and  Emily  J. 


HALCYON    SKINNER. 


Yonkers  resembles  other  cities  in  that  some  of  its  citizens,  by  reason  of 
political  influence,  or  wealth,  or  fluency  of  speech,  have  attained  prominence 
for  a  brief  time,  and  then  have  been  forgotten.  Among  those  whose  distinc- 
tion is  deserved,  and  not  short-lived,  is  Halcyon  Skinner.  He  came  to 
Yonkers  in  1865,  an  unassuming  stranger,  neither  wealthy  nor  college-bred, 
in  dress  plain,  in  manners  quiet,  in  disposition  retiring,  a  man  of  more 
thought  than  words;  and  those  who  met  the  unpretentious  stranger  did  not 
know  that  his  labors  here  would  prove  such  an  important  factor  as  they  have 
become  in  promoting  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  town,  and  making  it 
famous  at  home  and  abroad  as  a  center  of  one  of  the  largest  carpet  industries 
in  the  world;  nor  did  they  know  that  his  great  ability  as  an  inventor  would 
materially  increase  the  wealth  of  the  country.  Mr.  Alexander  Smith,  his 
friend  and  employer,  appreciated  his  talent,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion, 
notably  when  Messrs.  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Company  endeavored  to  secure  his 
services,  he  made  such  arrangements  with  him  that  Mr.  Skinner  remained_ 
with  him. 

The  annals  of  Yonkers  would  be  incomplete  without  a  record  of  Mr. 
Skinner's  contributions  of  original  thought  to  its  development.  His  father, 
Joseph  Skinner,  of  New  England,  was  an  inventor  and  natural  mechanic, 
whose  tastes  turned  him  away  from  farming,  to  which  he  had  been  bred,  and 
influenced  him  to  engage  in  mechanical  pursuits.  Halcyon  Skinner's  early 
education  was  obtained  in  a  log-cabin  district  school  in  Ohio,  and  subse- 
quently, when  the  family  moved  to  Massachusetts,  he  attended  school  at 
Stockbridge  during  several  winters,  working  in  summer  for  the  neighboring 
farmers,  or  for  his  father  in  the  shop.  His  father's  success  in  devising  and 
constructing  machines  for  rapidly  and  efflciently  forming  the  various  parts  of 
violins,  led  him  to  the  construction  of  a  large  machine  for  cutting  veneers, 
and  one  of  his  father's  large  machines  for  veneer-cutting  was  in  use  for  some 
years  in  Mr.  Copcutt's  mill,  at  West  Farms,  New  York.  In  1838  the  family 
moved  to  West  Farms,  where  the  father  became  foreman  for  Mr.  Copcutt, 
and  the  son  worked  with  him  in  the  mill.  When  the  mill  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  in  1845,  Halcyon  Skinner  found  work  as  a  carpenter.  He  was  then 
twenty-one  years  old.      In  1849,  when  Mr.   Skinner  was  about  twenty-five 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  659 

years  of  age,  Alexander  Smith,  who  was  owner  of  a  small  carpet  factory  at 
West  Farms,  and  who  knew  something  about  his  mechanical  skill,  had  a 
conversation  with  him  about  a  new  method  of  dyeing  yarns,  in  which  he  and 
an  assistant  were  interested.  The  carpet  factory  was  not  then  in  operation, 
but  Mr.  Smith  and  Mr.  John  G.  McNair  were  engaged  in  devising  and  con- 
structing some  apparatus  for  parti-coloring  yarns  for  ingrain  carpets.  Mr. 
Smith  desired  Mr.  Skinner  to  aid  them.  The  object  was  to  so  dye  different 
parts  of  a  skein  of  yarn  that  when  woven  into  the  fabric  each  color  would 
appear  in  its  proper  place  in  the  design.  If  this  could  be  accomplished  the 
striped  appearance,  which  was  a  great  objection  in  ingrain  carpets,  would  be 
avoided.  The  process  required  reels  of  a  particular  form  and  a  special  reel- 
ing machine,  also  an  appartus  for  immersing  parts  of  the  skein  in  the  dye 
liquor  accurately  to  a  measured  depth.  Mr.  Skinner  overcame  the  difficulty 
with  which  the  experimenters  had  met,  and  devised  a  reeling  machine  and  dip- 
ping apparatus  which  proved  to  be  efficient.  A  factory  was  built  for  manu- 
facturing the  new  style  of  carpet  on  a  large  scale,  and  Mr.  Skinner  became 
the  general  mechanic  of  the  factory.  When  his  connection  with  the  Alex- 
ander Smith  &  Sons  Carpet  Company  terminated,  in  November,  1889,  he 
had  rendered  Mr.  Smith  and  his  business  successors  a  service  of  forty  years. 
Only  those  familiar  with  the  history  of  carpet  manufacture  in  the  United 
States  and  abroad  can  begin  to  realize  what  Mr.  Skinner  accomplished. 
The  carpet  industry  as  he  left  it  widely  differed  from  what  it  was  when  he 
became  connected  with  it. 

In  1855,  when  Mr.  Smith  spoke  to  him  about  the  possibility  of  construct- 
ing a  loom  for  weaving  Axminster  carpet,  that  fabric  was  woven  by  a  slow 
and  costly  process  of  hand  weaving.  It  seems  that  no  attempt  had  ever  been 
made  to  weave  it  in  any  other  way.  Mr.  Skinner  at  that  time  knew  little  or 
nothing  about  power  looms  of  any  kind,  and  had  not  even  seen  a  power  loom 
in  operation  for  many  years.  His  tools  were  few,  as  were  the  conveniences 
with  which  he  had  to  work.  The  invention  of  the  Axminster  loom  was  the 
beginning  of  a  new  period  in  the  art  of  carpet-weaving,  because  it  first  made 
possible  the  production  of  this  high-grade  fabric  by  automatic  machinery. 
■One  operative  with  the  new  loom  could  easily  produce  as  many  yards  per  day 
as  seven  or  eight  could  produce  by  the  best  previously  known  method.  The 
weaving  of  tapestry  ingrain  by  power  was  also  considered  to  be  impossible, 
until  Mr.  Skinner  devised  machinery  by  which  the  work  was  efficiently  done. 
When  looms  for  weaving  tapestry  Brussels  were  brought  to  Yonkers  from 
England  and  proved  defective,  Mr.  Skinner  designed  a  loom  so  superior  that 
eventually  the  number  of  yards  of  carpet  produced  by  it  was  double  the  num- 
ber manufactured  by  the  imported  loom  in  the  same  time.  The  English 
looms  were  sold  for  half  what  they  cost  to  make  room  for  the  improved  ones. 


660  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

"When  the  English  yarn-printing  machines  accompanying  the  looms  were 
found  unsatisfactory,  Mr.  Skinner  designed  a  new  machine  as  much  superior 
to  the  old  one  as  the  new  loom  was  to  the  imported  loom.  The  printing 
machines  from  England  were  broken  up. 

In  1874  he  received  from  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Company  an  offer  of  a  much 
larger  salary  than  he  was  receiving  from  the  Smith  Company,  to  enter  their 
service  and  take  supervision  of  the  mechanical  department  of  the  various  fact- 
ories which  they  controlled.    After  careful  consideration  he  decided  to  remain 
in  Yonkers,  and  made  an  engagement  with  Mr.  Smith  for  a  term   of  years. 
Immediately  after  the  engagement  Mr.  Smith  broached  to  him  the  subject  of 
getting  up  a  power  loom   for  weaving  moquette  carpets.      Mr.  Skinner  gave 
his  attention  to  the  matter  and   made   some  experiments,  but  as  much  of  his 
time  was  taken  up  with  planning  buildings  and  other  matters,  it  was  sev- 
eral years  before  much  progress  was  made.      In  1877  a  patent  was  obtained 
and  half  a  dozen  looms  were  built.      Two  of  these  were  sent  to  England  and 
France,  where   several  concerns  were   licensed  to  build   and  operate  looms 
under  the  patents  which  had  been  obtained  in  those   countries,  and  he  spent 
a  number  of  months  there  attending  to  the  construction  and  starting  of  them. 
In  1879  forty  looms  were  built  and  put  in  operation  by  the  Smith  Company. 
From  that  time  the  manufacture  of  moquette  carpets  increased  as  experience 
and  skill  were  acquired  in  operating  the  looms,  and  various  improvements  in 
details  were  made,  until  one  operator  attending  two  looms  can  weave  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  times  as  much  in  a  given  time  as  could  be  woven  by  one 
working  by  the  best  methods  known  previous  to  the  invention  of  the  moquette 
power-loom.     These  and  other  very  important  inventions  did  not  engross  all 
Mr.  Skinner's  attention.     Much  of  his  time  was  occupied  in  oversight  of  the 
general  mechanical  work  of  the  large  factory,  and  in  planning  and  superin- 
tending the  construction  of  the  new  buildings  which  the  expanding  business 
required.    Having  reserved  the  right  to  use  in  looms  for  weaving  body-Brussels 
carpets  the  improvements  which  he  had  made  in  tapestry  looms,  Mr.  Skinner, 
in  1 88 1,  designed  for  the  Bigelow  Carpet  Company,  of  Clinton,  Massachusetts, 
a  loom  for  weaving  that  class  of  goods.     He  prepared  working  drawings,  and 
a  loom  was  built  at  the  works  of  the  company,  which  proved  so  successful 
that  all  the  looms  put  in  operation  after  that  time  were  constructed  after  his 
plans  in  preference  to  those  previously  designed  by  Mr.  E.  B.  Bigelow,  the 
original  inventor  of  the  power  looms  for  weaving  body-Brussels  carpets.    Mr. 
Skinner's  rights  in  the  subjoined  list  of  patents  were  assigned  to  Mr.  Alexan- 
der Smith,  or  to  the  Alexander  Smith  &  Sons  Carpet  Company: 

I.  Axminster  loom;  2,  Improvements  on  Axminster  loom;  3,  Improve- 
ments on  ingrain  loom;  4,  Improved  tapestry  loom;  5,  moquette  loom;  6, 
Improvements  on  moquette  loom;  7,  moquette  fabric  (4  shot);  8,  moquette 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  661 

fabric  (3  shot  and  2  shot);  9,  improved  chenille  carpet  loom;  10,  chenille  (or 
"  fur  ")  loom. 

When  Mr.  Skinner  began  working  for  Mr.  Alexander  Smith,  in  1849, 
the  establishment  consisted  of  one  small  wooden  building,  containing  nine- 
teen hand-looms  for  weaving  ingrain  carpet.  The  looms  were  not  then  in 
operation,  but  when  in  full  work  would  turn  out  about  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five yards  per  day,  making  about  a  wagon  load  to  be  sent  to  New  York 
each  week.  The  looms  were  all  in  use  in  the  spring  of  1850,  when  the  new 
method  of  dyeing  had  proved  a  success.  When  Mr.  Skinner  left,  in  1889, 
after  a  service  of  forty  years,  there  was  a  series  of  large  brick  buildings,  with 
floor  room  to  the  extent  of  about  three  acres,  all  of  which  had  been  planned 
by  Mr.  Skinner  and  erected  under  his  supervision.  These  buildings  contained 
at  that  date  nearly  eight  hundred  power-looms,  the  more  important  and  valu- 
able of  which  Mr.  Skinner  had  invented  and  designed,  and  the  remainder 
of  which  he  had  so  greatly  improved  that  the  production  of  each  one  of  them 
equaled  that  of  two  of  those  used  previous  to  his  improvements.  About 
thirty-five  hundred  operatives  were  employed  in  the  various  departments,  and 
the  actual  production  of  all  kinds  reached  9,217,000  yards  per  year.  In 
1892,  three  years  later,  the  production  had  increased  to  40,000  yards  per 
day,  of  which  15,000  yards  were  moquette,  amounting  to  4,500,000  yards 
per  year  of  that  kind  of  carpet.  In  1895  the  number  of  looms  of  all  kinds 
had  reached  930. 

To  show  more  fully  the  importance  and  value  of  the  invention  of  the 
moquette  loom,  it  may  be  said  that  the  production  above  mentioned  (15,000 
yards  per  day)  would  yield  to  the  owners  of  the  patents  a  royalty  of  twenty 
cents  per  yard,  amounting  to  nine  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the  year, 
besides  a  still  larger  amount  in  profits  to  the  manufacturer.  In  addition  to 
this,  the  Hartford  Carpet  Company,  in  this  country,  and  several  companies 
in  England  and  France,  were  paying  large  amounts  in  royalties.  The  most 
important  result  of  the  inventions  of  the  moquette  loom  and  auxiliary 
machinery  for  preparing  the  materials  is  the  reduction  in  the  price  of  this 
very  desirable  style  of  carpet  from  three  or  three  and  a  half  dollars  per  yard 
to  considerably  less  than  one  dollar,  thus  bringing  it  within  the  reach  of  all 
who  care  to  have  a  carpet  of  any  kind.  This  difference  in  price,  taking  the 
quality  produced  by  the  Smith  Company  alone  (say  15,000  yards  per  day), 
represents  a  saving  to  the  consumer  of  nearly  twelve  million  dollars  a  year. 
The  quantity  produced  by  other  companies  would  greatly  increase  this  amount. 
Notwithstanding  the  small  cost  of  manufacturing  this  fabric,  which  was  never 
produced  in  this  country  before  the  invention  of  the  loom,  the  daily  wages  of 
the  operatives  are  more  than  double  those  of  the  workers  under  former 
methods.     These  statements  help  one  to  realize  what  Mr.  Skinner  has  done 


662  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

for  Yonkers  and  for  the  country.  Since  leaving  the  Smith  Carpet  Company^ 
he  has  been  engaged  a  considerable  part  of  his  time  in  designing  and  con- 
structing a  new  moquette  loom,  which  has  shown  a  capacity  for  greatly  in- 
creased production  and  greater  economy  of  material.  Having  no  interest 
in  the  royalties  or  profits  derived  from  his  former  patents,  he  is  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  with  the  co-operation  of  a  few 
friends,  making  preparations  for  manufacturing  carpets  in  the  mill  near  Nep- 
perhan  avenue,  and  at  the  east  end  of  the  Glen. 

Mr.  Halcyon  Skinner's  two  sons  are  both  inventors.  In  1879  Charles 
E.  Skinner,  who  had  worked  with  his  father  in  constructing  and  putting  in 
operation  the  Axminster  loom,  and  afterward  on  the  moquette  loom,  studied 
out  some  devices  by  which  he  thought  moquette  goods  could  be  woven  in  a 
way  different  from  that  in  which  the  original  loom  operated.  Not  being  a 
practical  weaver,  he  associated  with  himself  Mr.  Eugene  Tymeson,  who  had 
started  many  of  the  moquette  looms  at  the  Smith  works,  and  was  an  expert 
at  that  work.  An  experimental  loom  was  built  which  gave  good  results,  and 
a  patent  was  obtained.  Arrangements  were  made  by  which  the  patent,  with 
several  others  afterward  obtained,  were  transferred  to  the  Smith  Moquette 
Loom  Company,  for  the  consideration  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in 
stock.  Unfortunately  for  him  the  company  did  not  prove  a  success  and  the 
stock  proved  to  be  of  no  value,  the  property  being  transferred  to  the  Alex- 
ander Smith  &  Sons  Carpet  Company.  His  improvements  were  not  put  in 
operation  as  a  whole,  but  some  of  them  were  applied  to  the  original  mo- 
quette loom,  with  the  result  of  a  considerable  increase  in  production. 

About  1 88 1  Mr.  Halcyon  Skinner's  second  son,  Albert  L.  Skinner,  who 
had  been  working  for  several  years  in  the  machine  shop  connected  with  the 
Smith  Works,  a  considerable  part  of  the  time  on  looms,  thought  he  could 
do  something  in  the  way  of  inventing  a  moquette  loom.  His  ideas  were 
quite  novel  and  gave  promise  of  good  results  if  properly  carried  out.  He 
made  drawings  of  some  devices  embodying  his  ideas,  and  obtained  a  patent 
for  the  same.  He  made  arrangements  with  the  Bigelow  Carpet  Company, 
of  Clinton,  Massachusetts,  and  built  a  loom,  which  was  put  in  operation  at 
their  works.  It  proved  very  successful,  and  a  large  number  of  the  looms 
were  built  and  have  been  profitably  operated  by  the  company  ever  since. 


ROBERT  A.    REYNOLDS. 


Bedford  township,  Westchester  county,  New  York,  includes  among  its 
intelligent  and  prosperous  citizens  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Robert  A. 
Reynolds,  whose  post-office  address  is  Katonah.  He  was  born  at  the  old 
Reynolds  homestead,  where  he  now  resides,  July  26,  1844. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  663 

As  far  back  at  the  Reynolds  family  can  trace  their  history  they  have  been 
New  Yorkers.  The  grandparents  of  Robert  A.  were  Joseph  and  Anna  (Fuller) 
Reynolds,  and  their  family  was  composed  of  ten  children,  seven  sons  and 
three  daughters,  of  whom  the  eldest,  Lewis,  died  in  March,  1898,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six  years.  The  others  in  order  of  birth  were  named  as  follows: 
Aniza,  Horace,  Mary  Ann,  John  L. ,  William,  Phoebe  Jane,  Joseph  E. ,  Sarah 
E.  and  Hiram  B.;  and  of  these  Aniza,  William  and  Joseph  E.  are  deceased. 
Their  son  John  L. ,  who  was  the  father  of  Robert  A.,  was  born  August  30, 
1819,  in  Bedford  township,  Westchester  county.  To  him  and  his  M^ife  were 
born  nine  children,  of  whom  the  following  are  still  living:  W.  Henry,  Frances 
Totton,  Robert  A.,  Abigail,  Cassius  J.,  John  S.  and  George  McClellan. 

Robert  A.  Reynolds  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  has  always  made 
his  home  on  it  with  the  exception  of  the  three  years  he  spent  in  the  army. 
Soon  after  the  civil  war  was  inaugurated  his  youthful  ambition  and  his  strong 
patriotism  led  him  to  offer  his  services  to  the  union,  and  as  a  member  of  the 
Fourth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery  he  went  to  the  front.  He  was  in  the 
battle  of  Petersburg,  after  being  with  Grant  in  the  Wilderness  and  around 
Spottsylvania  Court  House.  Returning  home  October  20,  1864,  at  the  close 
of  three  years'  service,  he  resumed  work  on  the  farm,  and  has  been  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  ever  since. 

Politically,  Mr.  Reynolds  support  the  man  he  deems  best  fitted  for  the 
office  rather  than  holding  strictly  to  party  lines,  and  is  what  is  termed  an 
independent.  Socially,  he  is  identified  with  McKeel  Post,  No.  120,  G.  A.  R. 
Mrs.  Reynolds  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


HENRY  G.  V.  DeHART,  M.  D. 

For  a  period  of  twenty-five  years.  Dr.  DeHart  has  been  identified  with 
the  medical  profession  of  Westchester  county,  New  York,  and  since  1888  has 
resided  at  White  Plains.  Dr.  Henry  Garrett  Voorhees  DeHart  is  a  native  of 
New  York  city.  He  was  born  February  i,  1849,  and  traces  his  ancestry 
back  to  the  early  settlement  of  this  country  when  three  brothers  by  the  name 
of  DeHart  emigrated  from  France,  their  native  land,  to  America.  On  the 
voyage  over  they  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  Holland  woman  by  the  name 
of  Van  Arsdalen,  whom  one  of  the  brothers,  the  ancestor  of  our  subject,  mar- 
ried, the  newly  wedded  couple  settling  on  the  southern  part  of  Long  Island, 
the  other  brothers  finding  homes  in  different  localities.  The  grandfather  and 
father  of  Dr.  De  Hart,  Uriah  and  Henry  De  Hart  respectively,  were  born  in 
New  Jersey,  the  latter  on  Ten  Mile  Run,  Middlesex  county,  September  11, 
1812.  He  was  in  his  earlier  life  a  school-teacher,  but  abandoned  that  pro- 
fession for  the  mercantile  business,  in  which  he  was  engaged  successfully  for 


664  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

a  period  of  forty  years.  He  died  in  1889.  Tiie  Doctor's  mother  was  before 
marriage  Miss  Cordelia  Newton.  Siie  was  born  in  Middlesex  county,  New 
Jersey,  November  6,  18 14,  daughter  of  William  Newton,  an  .Englishman, 
who  came  to  this  country  about  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  She 
died  in  November,   1896. 

The  first  five  years  of  his  life  the  subject  of  our  sketch  passed  in  his  nat- 
ive city.  Then  he  rnoved  with  his  parents  to  Kingston,  near  Princeton,  New 
Jersey,  and  while  there  he  attended  the  Lawrenceville  Classical  and  Com- 
mercial High  School.  From  the  latter  place  he  moved  with  his  parents  to 
New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  where  he  entered  Rutger's  College  in  the  year 
1867,  pursuing  his  studies  in  that  institution  until  1869.  He  then  began  the 
study  of  medicine  under  tha  precsptorship  of  Harry  R.  Baldwin,  M.  D.,  of 
New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  and  eventually  matriculated  at  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  New  York  city,  where  he  completed  the  course 
and  graduated  in  1873.  That  same  year  he  located  at  Pleasantville,  West- 
chester county,  where  for  fifteen  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  and  whence  he  came,  in  1888,  to  White  Plains,  During  the  ten 
years  of  his  residence  here  he  has  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  and 
such  has  been  his  manner  of  life  that  it  has  won  him  the  confidence  and  high 
esteem  of  all  who  have  required  his  services  or  have  in  any  way  come  in  con- 
tact with  him. 

Dr.  DeHart  was  married  May  19,  1875,  to  Miss  Maggie  A.  Winship,  of 
Pleasantville,  New  York,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Almira  Winship,  the  latter 
a  lineal  descendant  of  John  Alden,  of  Plymouth  notoriety.  The  Doctor  and 
his  wife  have  six  children,  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely:  William 
Oscar,  Clarence,  Chester  Hartranft,  Henry  Harold,  Frederick  Alden  and 
Alice  Elaine.  The  eldest  son,  William  Oscar,  is  a  resident  of  New  York 
city. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  White  Plains  Lodge,  No.  473,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  of  the  Order  of  Chosen  Friends  and  the  Order  of  Foresters,  in  White 
Plains.  Also  he  is  a  member  of  "Westchester  County  Medical  Society,  and  is 
examining  surgeon  for  the  Provident  Life  Insurance  Society  of  New  York, 


CHARLES  F.  VALENTINE. 

A  representative  of  one  of  the  prominent  old  families  of  Westchester 
county,  founded  here  in  colonial  days,  Charles  F,  Valentine  was  born  at  the 
old  homestead  on  what  was  known  as  the  old  "  King's  Bridge  road"  but  is 
now  Trenchard  avenue,  Yonkers,  December  30,  183 1,  His  grandfather, 
James  Valentine,  was  born  in  the  house  which  was  used  by  General  Wash- 
ington as  his  headquarters  during  the  campaign  of  White  Plains  and  in  which 


Q'Mr^rj  ^'{/kj?//^^e. 


OJ^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  665 

the  plans  were  made  that  resulted  in  forcing  the  British  to  evacuate  New 
York.  Removing  to  a  farm  near  Bronxville,  James  Valentine  there  became 
the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  land,  whereon  he  died  in  1816, 
at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious 
faith  an  Episcopalian,  belonging  to  St.  John's  church.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Warner,  and  to  them  were  born  the  following  children,  besides  the  father  of 
Charles  F. :  Elizabeth,  who  became  the  wife  of  George  Briggs;  Harriet, 
wife  of  Shadrack  Taylor;  Ann;  Charlotte,  who  married  Archer  Martin;  Sarah, 
wife  of  Royal  Teftt;  Nathaniel;  Charles  and  Susan. 

Staats  Valentine,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  September  22, 
1800,  on  the  old  family  homestead  near  Bronxville,  and  made  farming  his 
life  work.  He  purchased  sixty  acres  of  land  bordering  Trenchard  avenue, 
Yonkers, — the  place  where  his  son  James  now  resides, — and  there  spent  his 
remaining  days.  He  was  a  fife  major  of  a  company  of  home  guards,  and  was 
a  member  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  church.  He  died  May  4,  1872,  and  his 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Abigail  Lawrence,  was  born  January  21, 
1803,  and  died  November  8,  1884,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  They 
had  a  family  of  six  children:  Delia,  deceased;  James  L. ;  Charles  F. ;  Ed- 
ward, deceased;  Abraham  Warner,  who  has  also  passed  away;  and  Emily, 
wife  of  Benjamin  Thompson,  of  Mount  Vernon. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Yonkers  Charles  F.  Valentine  acquired  his 
education,  subsequently  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  then  engaged  in 
contracting  and  building  in  New  York  city.  He  made  his  home  at  No.  443 
East  Eighty-eighth  street,  New  York,  and  was  prominently  identified  with 
the  building  interests  there  for  thirty  years,  or  until  1890.  He  erected  many 
substantial  residences  and  did  an  extensive  and  profitable  business,  acquiring 
a  handsome  competence.  In  1896  he  removed  to  Yonkers  and  erected  his 
present  residence  upon  the  old  homestead  tract,  part  of  which  is  still  owned 
•by  Charles  F.  and  James  L.  Valentine.  Since  returning  to  Yonkers  he  has 
devoted  himself  to  the  management  of  his  real-estate  interests,  and  has  also 
taken  contracts  for  the  erection  of  some  substantial  structures  in  the  city. 
His  business  career  has  been  characterized  by  untiring  diligence,  by  progress- 
ive methods  and  .honorable  dealing,  and  has  brought  very  satisfactory 
financial  returns. 

Mr.  Valentine  has  been  three  times  married.  He  first  married  Emma 
Reeves,  who  died  July  12,  1865,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years.  In  March, 
1867,  he  wedded  Isabella  Gray  and  to  them  were  born  three  children,  but 
all  are  now  deceased.  His  present  wife  was  formerly  Mrs.  Edith  Bowne, 
and  their  marriage  was  celebrated  June  12,  1887. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Valentine  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  took 
an  active  part  in  furthering  the  cause  of  his  party  in  the  old  twenty-second 


666  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

assembly  district  of  New  York.  He  did  much  campaign  work  and  public 
speaking  in  a  local  way  and  has  always  kept  well  informed  on  the  issues  of 
the  day,  so  that  he  has  ever  been  able  to  give  an  intelligent  support  to  the 
party  principles.  He  has  always  been  especially  alert  in  defeating  the  plans 
of  those  who  sought  office  merely  for  personal  considerations,  and  given  his 
aid  to  those  whom  he  believed  would  prove  valuable  and  trustworthy  public 
servants.  He  never  sought  or  accepted  office  himself,  his  labors  being  solely 
for  the  advancement  of  political  principles  which  he  believed  would  promote 
the  general  welfare.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Methodist,  his  membership 
being  in  a  church  of  that  denomination  in  New  York  city. 


JAMES  L.   VALENTINE. 

The  subject  of  this  review,  who  is  living  at  the  old  family  homestead  in 
Yonkers,  was  born  on  the  farm  near  Tuckahoe,  where  his  grandfather  resided, 
December  24,  1829,  and  he  received  his  educational  discipline  in  the  public 
schools.  When  a  youth  he  went  with  the  family  to  his  present  home  on 
Trenchard  avenue,  which  has  been  his  place  of  abode  continuously  since. 
He  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  connection  with  his  brother, 
Charles  F. ,  retains  an  interest  in  the  old  homestead.  They  have  sold  a 
small  portion  of  this  for  building  sites,  and  have  recently  divided  more  of  it 
into  town  lots.  It  is  a  valuable  property,  which  has  greatly  increased  in 
value  with  the  growth  and  development  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Valentine  is  a  member  of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  church.  He  served 
his  term  in  the  general  muster,  and  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  is  a  bachelor,  is  a  man  of  most  sterling  characteristics,  and  is  progressive 
and  enterprising,  having  maintained  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  concerns  the 
welfare  of  the  community.  In  temperament  and  manner  he  is  cordial  and 
genial,  and  he  is  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  community  where  his  long  and 
useful  life  has  been  passed. 


FREDERICK  C.   HAVEMEYER. 

Frederick  C.  Havemeyer,  the  longest  surviving  son  of  his  father's  family, 
was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1807.  At  the  age  of  nine  years  he 
entered  the  classical  school  conducted  by  Joseph  Nelson,  a  very  popular 
instructor  familiarly  known  as  the  blind  teacher.  In  1821  he  entered  Colum- 
bia College,  where  he  remained  till  the  completion  of  the  sophomore  year,, 
obtaining  that  mental  discipline  and  classical  knowledge  which  so  largely 
assisted  him  in  mercantile  life.  His  father  and  uncle  had  previously  estab- 
lished a  sugar  refinery,  under  the  name  of  W.  &  F.  C.  Havemeyer,  in  Van- 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  667 

dam  street.  New  York.  This  establishment  he  entered  as  an  apprentice  and 
was  formally  introduced  as  such  to  his  uncle  by  his  father.  Having  obtained 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
cousin,  William  F.  Havemeyer,  afterward  mayor  of  New  York,  which  con- 
tinued till  1842,  when  both  retired  from  business,  and  was  succeeded  by  their 
brothers,  Albert  and  Diederick.  Possessing,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  sufficient 
skill  and  knowledge  to  conduct  the  business  of  a  refinery,  during  all  the 
years  of  this  co-partnership  he  worked  with  his  men  in  every  branch  of  the 
business,  from  passing  coal  to  the  furnaces  to  the  highest  duties  of  refining, 
becoming  an  expert  in  every  department;  and  this  experience  gave  him 
immense  advantage  when,  at  a  future  day,  under  systems  not  then  discov- 
ered, it  was  his  destiny  to  re-enter  a  business  which  he  then  supposed  he  had 
left  forever. 

His  father  died  in  1841,  and  then  for  ten  years  Mr.  Havemeyer  devoted 
himself  to  the  care  of  his  own  and  his  father's  estates.  During  these  years 
he  made  a  tour  of  pleasure  and  observation  through  the  United  States,  and 
also  traveled  in  Europe.  In  1855  he  again  engaged  in  active  business  in 
Williamsburg,  then  a  suburb  of  Brooklyn,  and  the  business  then  established 
was  continued  with  greatly  increased  facilities.  So  greatly  did  it  grow  that 
the  capacity  of  refining  was  increased  five  hundred  tons  of  raw  sugar  a  day, 
and  four  thousand  barrels  of  refined  sugar  were  turned  out  every  twenty-four 
hours.  The  consumption  of  coal  was  one  hundred  tons  per  day,  while  two 
hundred  men  were  employed,  and  the  steam  engines  represented  twenty-two 
hundred  horse  power.  Throughout  the  whole  establishment  everything  was 
conducted  in  the  most  systematic  manner,  and  a  practical  man  visiting  the 
establishment  was  immediately  impressed  with  the  magnificient  engineering 
everywhere  present, —  the  arrangement  of  the  machinery,  the  closeness  of 
the  connections  and  arrangements  for  the  cheap  and  easy  handling  of  the 
immense  amount  of  material  daily  used.  There  were  seventeen  steam 
engines,  many  of  them  of   large  capacity,  and  all  of  modern  construction. 

In  1 86 1  the  firm  was  composed  of  Frederick  C.  Havemeyer,  his  son 
George  and  Dwight  Townsend,  under  the  firm  name  of  Havemeyer  &  Com- 
pany. George  Havemeyer  was  killed  by  an  accident  before  the  close  of  the 
year.  He  was  a  young  man  of  brilliant  promise  and  his  death  was  a  severe 
blow  to  his  father's  family.  Subsequently  Mr.  Havemeyer  admitted  his  son, 
Theodore  A.,  and  his  son-in-law,  J.  Lawrence  Elder,  as  partners,  and  the 
firm  name  became  Havemeyers  &  Elder.  F.  C.,  Theodore  A.  and  H.  O. 
Havemeyer  and  Charles  H.  Senff  then  constituted  the  firm. 

In  January,  1882,  the  principal  buildings  of  the  refinery  were  destroyed 
by  fire.  A  new  and  more  capacious  refinery  was  soon  after  erected  upon  an 
adjoining  site. 


668  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Mr.  Havemeyer  married  Sarah  L.  Osborne,  and  their  children  were 
Frederick,  George  W.  (deceased),  Theodore  A.,  Thomas  J.,  Harry  O.,  Mary 
(wife  of  J.  Lawrence  Elder),  Catharine  (wife  of  L.  J.  Belloni,  Jr.)  and  Sarah 
L.  (wife  of  Frederick  Jackson). 


DR.   ROBERT  A.   FONES. 


Dr.  Robert  A.  Fones,  of  Yonkers,  New  York,  is  a  son  of  Christopher 
and  Sarah  A.  (Marigold)  Fones  and  was  born  at  Demorestville,  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, January  4,  1853.  His  family  name  denotes  his  French  origin.  On 
both  his  father's  side  and  his  mother's  he  is  a  descendant  of  French  Hugue- 
nots. His  paternal  great-grandfather  was  an  exile  to  England  during  the  reign 
of  Louis  XIV  and  afterward  became  an  officer  in  the  English  navy.  On  his 
retirement  he  was  given  a  tract  of  land,  embracing  fifteen  hundred  acres,  in 
the  state  of  Rhode  Island,  where  the  old  town  of  Wickford  now  stands.  His 
son  Daniel,  the  grandfather,  and  Christopher,  the  father  of  Robert,  were 
born  on  the  ancestral  acres  and  the  latter  married  Sarah  A.  Marigold,  of 
South  Carolinian  lineage,  also  a  descendant  of  French  Huguenots. 

Christopher  Fones  was  born  in  1808  and  after  acquiring  an  education 
became  an  architect  and  builder  and  operated  for  some  years  at  Marigold's 
Point,  Ontario,  Canada,  having  emigrated  there,  and  there  he  was  married. 
He  became  extensively  known  as  a  contractor  and  builder  and  died  in  1875, 
aged  sixty-seven.  His  wife,  who  still  lives,  having  passed  her  eightieth  year, 
bore  him  eleven  children,  as  follows  :  Dr.  Civilian  Fones,  a  prominent 
dentist  and  ex-mayor  of  Bridgeport,  Connecticut;  Daniel,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Dr.  A.  E.  Fones,  also  a  dentist,  living  at  Bridgeport,  Connecticut;  Augusta, 
who  married  Samuel  McDonald,  a  real-estate  and  insurance  agent  of  Bloom- 
field,  Canada;  Sarah  G. ,  who  married  Wilbur  Parrott,  a  lawyer  of  Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania;  Calista,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty;  John  H.  Fones, 
a  contractor  and  builder,  of  Oakland,  California;  Dr.  Robert  A.  Fones;  Dr. 
Charles  Fones,  a  dentist  of  New  York  city;  Maggie  Fones,  and  Jacob  Fones, 
deceased. 

Dr.  Robert  A.  Fones  was  graduated  in  1875,  ^"d  took  the  faculty  prize 
as  honor  man  of  his  class.  He  studied  dental  surgery  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  his  brother,  Dr.  Civilian  Fones,  of  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  and 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Yonkers  in  1877.  He  returned  to 
Bridgeport  in  1879,  and  in  1882  again  located  in  Yonkers  for  a  short  time. 
After  a  year  spent  in  practice  in  California,  he  came  back  to  Yonkers,  where 
he  has  built  up  a  large  and  successful  practice  and  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
being  the  oldest  dentist  in  the  city.  His  standing  in  his  profession  is  very 
high  and  he  is  a  member  of  various  professional  organizations,  including  the 


(J^j/yjs2i.^^t^a^z^. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  669- 

Connecticut  Valley  Dental  Association.  He  has  always  taken  a  deep  inter- 
est in  athletics  and  is  a  member  of  the  Palisade  Boat  Club,  one  of  the  popu- 
lar local  yacht  clubs,  and  the  Yonkers  Bicycle  Club.  As  a  citizen  he  has 
been  as  progressive  as  he  has  been  professionally,  and  every  worthy  move- 
ment for  the  public  good  has  had  his  hearty  and  generous  co-operation.  He 
has  for  some  years  been  identified  with  the  Yonkers  Board  of  Trade  and  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  work  which  has  been  carried  on  by  that  body. 

Dr.  Fones  was  married,  March  31,  1898,  to  Miss  Isadora  Lynt,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  B.  and  Laura  Lynt,  of  Ardsley,  this  county. 


STEPHEN  W.  SMITH. 


This  gentleman  is  a  well-known  contractor  and  builder  of  White  Plains, 
New  York,  of  whose  skill  many  notable  examples  are  to  be  seen  at  various- 
points  in  this  region.  Thoroughly  reliable  in  all  things,  the  quality  of  his 
work  is  a  convincing  test  of  his  own  personal  worth,  and  the  same  admirable 
trait  is  shown  in  his  conscientious  discharge  of  the  duties  of  different  posi- 
tions of  trust  and  responsibility  to  which  he  has  been  chosen  in  business  and 
political  life. 

A  native  of  Westchester  county,  Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Harrison,  Octo- 
ber 13,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Smith,  also  a  native  of  this  county, 
who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  a  son  of  Joseph  Smith.  The  father 
died  when  our  subject  was  only  four  years  old,  leaving  a  widow  and  seven 
children  in  rather  limited  circumstances.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Freelove  Lonsbury,  was  born  in  Newburg,  New  York,  on  the  Hud- 
son river,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Lonsbury.  There  were  eight  children 
in  the  family,  who  lived  to  years  of  maturity,  namely:  Eliza  Ann,  now 
deceased,  who  was  the  wife  of  John  Hendrickson;  Daniel  S.,  a  resident  of 
White  Plains;  Mary;  Henry  L. ;  Phebe,  wife  of  W.  P.  Hamell,  of  White 
Plains;  Stephen  W. ,  of  this  sketch;  and  Thomas  L. ,  who  died  in  his  twenty- 
first  year. 

The  first  sixteen  years  of  his  life  Stephen  W.  Smith  spent  in  Harrison, 
New  York,  where  he  attended  the  town  school.  He  then  came  to  White 
Plains  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade  with  his  brother-in-law,  George  Smith, 
and  after  serving  a  four-years  apprenticeship  he  traveled  as  a  journeyman,, 
working  at  his  trade  in  this  way  for  several  years.  He  then  started  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  has  since  erected 
many  of  the  best  houses  at  White  Plains  and  also  buildings  in  adjacent 
townships. 

Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  building  and  loan  association 
of  White  Plains,  and  has  also  been  one  of  its  directors  since  1888.     For  four- 


670  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

years  he  was  chief  of  the  fire  department  at  that  place,  which  also  he  was 
instrumental  in  organizing;  is  a  trustee  of  the  Home  Savings  Bank  of  White 
Plains,  and  in  January,  1898,  he  was  elected  commissioner  of  highways.  He 
has  always  taken  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  every  enterprise  calculated 
to  prove  of  public  good.  Socially  he  is  a  leading  member  of  White  Plains 
Lodge,  No.  473,  F.  &  A.  M.,  having  become  identified  with  that  order  in 
1863.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  and  has  held  several  minor 
offices.  He  is  now  a  school  trustee  at  White  Plains;  has  been  a  member  of 
the  school  board  for  six  years;  assessor  of  the  village  for  eight  years;  village 
trustee  four  years,  and  collector  of  taxes  for  two  years.    ■ 

In  1857  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Sarah  E.  See,  of  New  York  city,  the 
eldest  daughter  of  Ervin  and  Susanna  See,  in  whose  family  were  four  chil- 
dren,— one  son  and  three  daughters.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  three  chil- 
dren: Stephen  C. ,  the  eldest,  now  in  partnership  with  his  father,  was  mar 
ried  December  29,  1885,  to  Miss  Hattie  E.  Eggleston,  and  has  had  two 
children:  Hattie  Pearl,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  months,  and  Stephen 
E.,  born  May  i,  1889;  Albert  H.,  the  second  son  of  Mr.  Smith,  was  born 
January  26,  1866,  and  was  married  April  25,  1888,  to  Louise  Johns,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Albert  Irving,  now  aged  nine  years;  and  Gertrude  F., 
the  only  daughter,  is  now  the  wife  of  William  H.  Ford  and  resides  in  White 
Plains.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  35  Lexing- 
ton avenue,  White  Plains,  where  they  delight  to  entertain  their  many  friends 


JOHN  JAY. 

John  Jay,  sixth  son  of  Peter  Jay,  was  born  December  12,  1745,  spent  his 
boyhood  at  Rye  and  New  Rochelle,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1768. 
On  April  28,  1774,  he  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  William  Livingston,  after- 
ward governor  of  New  Jersey.  He  soon  took  a  foremost  position  in  the  poli- 
tics of  the  country  and  was  prominent  in  the  debates  of  the  first  and  second 
continental  congresses.  In  1779  he  was  appointed  chief  justice  of  the  state 
of  New  York.  In  1778  he  was  elected  president  of  congress.  In  1779  he 
was  sent  as  minister  to  Spain,  and  thence,  in  1780,  went  to  Paris  as  commis- 
sioner to  assist  in  the  negotiation  of  a  treaty  of  peace  with  Great  Britain. 
He  returned  to  New  York  in  1784,  after  an  absence  of  five  years,  and  was 
received  with  tokens  of  esteem  and  admiration.  December  21,  1784,  he  was 
appointed  by  congress  secretary  for  foreign  affairs,  and  held  the  office  for  five 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  contributors  to  "The  Federalist."  In  1789  he 
was  appointed  chief  justice  of  the  United  States, — an  office  which  he  was  the 
the  first  to  fill.  In  1794  he  was  sent  as  special  minister  to  London,  upon  a 
delicate  and  most  important  mission,  relating  to  difficulties  growing  out  of 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  671 

unsettled  boundaries  and  certain  commercial  complications.  He  discharged 
this  duty  with  great  ability,  and  upon  his  return  to  America,  in  1795,  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority  governor  of  the  state  of  New  York.  At  the  end  of 
three  years  he  was  re-elected,  and  at  the  expiration  of  a  second  term  was  solic- 
ited to  become  a  candidate  for  election  a  third  time.  But  he  had  determined 
to  renounce  public  life,  and  though  nominated  again,  in  1800,  to  the  office  of 
chief  justice  of  the  United  States,  declined  the  honor  and  retired  to  his 
paternal  estate,  at  Bedford,  a  property  which  was  a  part  of  the  Van  Cortlandt 
estate,  and  which  his  father  had  acquired  by  marriage  to  Mary,  a  daughter 
of  Jacobus  Van  Cortlandt.  There  for  twenty-eight  years  he  lived  a  peaceful 
and  honored  life.  In  1827  he  was  seized  with-  severe  illness,  and,  after  two 
years  of  weakness  and  suffering,  was  struck  with  palsy,  May  14,  1829,  and 
died  three  days  afterward.  He  was  buried  in  the  family  cemetery  at  Rye. 
His  public  reputation  as  a  patriot  and  statesman  of  the  Revolution  was  sec- 
ond only  to  that  of  Washington,  and  his  private  character  as  a  man  and  a 
Christian  is  singularly  free  from  stain  or  blemish. 

John  Clarkson  Jay,  M.  D.,  eldest  son  of  Peter  Augustus  Jay,  was  born 
September  11,  1808,  and  married  Laura,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Prime.  He 
was  the  proprietor  of  the  estate  at  Rye,  and  was  the  well  known  representa- 
tive of  the  family  in  Westchester  county.  After  a  thorough  preparation  in 
schools,  among  which  were  those  of  the  blind  teacher,  Mr.  Nelson,  and  the 
McCuUoch  school  at  Morristown,  New  York,  he  entered  Columbia  College, 
at  which  he  graduated,  together  with  the  late  secretary  of  state,  Hamilton 
Fish,  and  many  other  distinguished  men,  in  the  class  of  1827.  In  1831  he 
took  his  degree  as  M.  D.  He  was  a  deep  student  of  natural  history,  espe- 
cially of  conchology,  and  the  valuable  collection  of  shells  formerly  in  his 
possession,  which  is  now  in  the  New  York  Museum  of  Natural  History,  hav- 
ing been  purchased  by  Miss  Wolf  and  presented  to  that  institution  by  her,  in 
memory  of  her  father,  has  the  reputation  of  being  the  finest  in  the  country. 
On  this  branch  Dr.  Jay  wrote  several  pamphlets,  among  which  are  the  fol- 
lowing: Catalogue  of  Recent  Shells,  etc.;  New  York,  1835,  8vo.,  pp.  56; 
Description  of  New  and  Rare  Shells,  with  four  plates;  New  York,  1836,  2d 
ed.,  pp.  78;  A  Catalogue,  etc.,  together  with  a  Description  of  New  and  Rare 
Species;  New  York,  pp.  125,  4to.,  ten  plates.  The  article  on  shells  in  the 
narrative  of  Commodore  Perry's  expedition  to  Japan,  is  also  by  him.  He 
was  connected  with  many  prominent  literary  and  social  organizations  both  in 
Westchester  county  and  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  spent  much  of  his 
time.  He  was  for  many  years  a  trustee  of  Columbia  College,  and  at  two 
different  periods  served  as  trustee  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
of  the  City  of  New  York.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  at  one  time 
recording  secretary  of  the  New  York  Yacht  Club,  the  annals  of  which  will 


672  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

show  the  hvely  interest  which  he  took  in  its  management  and  general  affairs. 
The  records  of  the  New  York  Lyceum  of  Natural  History,  now  known  as  the 
New  York  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  will  exhibit  the  interest  manifested 
by  him  in  that  most  useful  organization. 

Dr.  Jay  was  an  Episcopalian,  and  was  connected  for  many  years  with 
Christ  Church  at  Rye,  of  which  he  was  warden.  He  was  well  known 
throughout  Westchester  county,  where  he  was  so  long  greatly  appreciated  for 
his  social  and  literary  qualities. 

These  and  many  other  iilustrious  names  have  adorned  the  history  of  the 
Jay  family  in  America,  the  members  of  which  have  ever  been  faithful  to  their 
country,  faithful  to  their  religion  and  faithful  to  themselves.  Their  residence 
there  has  added  luster  to  Westchester  county,  and  their  noble  influence  will 
be  remembered  while  American  history  continues  to  be  read. 


INGERSOLL    F.   KNOWLTON. 

Ingersoll  F.  Knowlton,  one  of  the  representative  and   highly  esteemed 
citizens  of  North  Castle  township,  where  he  is  successfully  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  milling,  has  been  a  resident  of  Westchester  county.  New 
York,  since  1863,  and  has  been  prominently  identified  with  its  best  interests. 
He  is  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in  Fairfield  county,  December  7,   1840, 
and  belongs  to  one  of  the  most  distinguished  families  of  early  colonial  days, 
several  of  its  members  being  prominent  officers  in   the   Indian   and   Revolu- 
tionary wars.     These  include  his  great-grandfather.  Colonel  Daniel  Knowl- 
ton, who  saved  the  life  of  General  Putnam  in  1757  during  the  French   and 
Indian  war,  and  his  great-uncle,    Colonel  Thomas   Knowlton,    whose  statue 
adorns  the  grounds  of  the  state  capitol  at  Hartford,  Connecticut.      Our  sub- 
jeci;'s  parents  were  Rev.  Farnham  and  Sarah  (Ingersoll)  Knowlton,  the  latter 
a  daughter  of  Simon  Ingersoll,  and  the  children  born  to  this  worthy  couple 
were,  in  order  of  birth:  Sarah,  deceased;  Miner  N.,  who  served  with  distinc- 
tion as  a  major  in  the  civil  war  and  is  now   a  resident  of  Chicago;  George;. 
Ingersoll  F. ;  and   Mrs.  Emily  Hoyt.     The   mother  died    in  1853,   and   after 
long  surviving  her  the  father  passed  away  in  1880. 

The  subject  of  this  review  received  his  education  at  the  Literary  Institute 
at  Suffield,  Connecticut,  and  for  a  time  he  successfully  followed  the  teach- 
er's profession.  November  17,  1862,  he  was  appointed  an  assistant  engineer 
by  the  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  then  secretary  of  the  United  States  Navy.  Mr. 
Knowlton  was  in  the  memorable  engagement  of  Admiral  Farragut  in  Mobile 
bay,  where  the  Confederate  ram  Atlanta  was  captured,  and  the  United  States 
iron-clad  Tecumseh  was  sunk  by  a  torpedo  of  the  enemy. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resigned   his  position.      He  now  resides  ia 


J^^-^^rT^  ^  /f^^uo.^^ 


^7>o 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  678 

Armonk,  Westchester  county,  on  his  own  estate,  on  which  is  still  standing 
the  small  house  in  which  Major  Andre  was  held  a  prisoner  one  night,  after 
his  capture  with  dispatches  from  Benedict  Arnold. 

In  1863  Mr.  Knowlton  married  Miss  Carrie  S.  Carpenter,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  B.  and  Hannah  (Sands)  Carpenter,  and  by  this  union  he  had  three 
children:  Sarah;  and  J.  Everett  and  Jacob  C,  both  of  whom  died  at  the 
age  of  thirty  years.  The  wife  and  mother  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in 
1867,  and  Mr.  Knowlton  was  again  married,  February  13,  1872,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Hannah  Carpenter,  a  daughter  of  Rees  Carpenter,  a 
prominent  citizen  of  Westchester  county.  She  traces  her  ancestry  back  to 
Richard  Carpenter,  who  lived  and  died  in  Amesbury,  Wiltshire,  England. 
William,  his  son,  came  to  America  previously  to  1636  and  settled  in  Rhode 
Island,  with  Roger  Williams.  Joseph,  son  of  William,  removed  to  Long 
Island  and  bought  a  tract  of  land  of  the  Indians  near  Glen  Cove.  Nathaniel, 
son  of  Joseph,  married  Tamer  Coles  and  removed  to  North  Castle,  near 
Armonk.  His  son,  Timothy,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  this  county, 
which  so  pleased  the  Indians  that  they  gave  it  one  hundred  acres  of  land  in 
Byram  valley.  He  married  Phebe  Coles.  Timothy's  son,  also  named  Tim- 
othy, married  Hannah  Ferris,  a  daughter  of  John  Ferris,  of  Bedford.  His 
son,  William,  remained  on  the  homestead  and  married  Deborah  Cocks,  in 
1788,  and  their  son,  Rees,  was  born  in  1789,  and  married  Miss  Sarah  Bow- 
ron,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Story)  Bowron,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Jacob,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight 
years;  David,  a  resident  of  New  Castle,  this  county;  Phebe,  deceased  wife  of 
I.  H.  Hoag;  Freelove,  who  was  the  second  wife  of  I.  G.  Hoag,  and  died  in 
1893;  and  Hannah,  wife  of  our  subject.  The  father  of  these  children,  one 
of  the  leading  and  highly  respected  citizens  of  his  community,  died  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-two  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  served  as  supervisor  of  his  township 
for  many  years.  Mr.  Knowlton  and  his  family  are  also  identified  with  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  have  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who  know 
them. 

LEWIS  C.   POPHAM. 

Lewis  C.  Popham,  youngest  child  of  William  Sherbrook  Popham,  was 
born  on  the  old  homestead  in  Scarsdale,  April  15,  1833.  Receiving  his  edu- 
cation at  the  well-known  school  of  Rev.  Dr.  Harris,  at  White  Plains,  he 
joined  his  father  in  business,  and  in  due  time  succeeded  to  it  and  the  family 
estate.  Besides  carrying  on  his  large  business  interests  in  New  York  city,  he 
has  been  for  the  last  sixteen  years  justice  of  the  peace  of  the  town  of  Scars- 
dale.  He  is  of  an  exceedingly  social  disposition  and  justly  reckoned  among 
43 


674  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

the  most  popular  citizens  of  Westchester  county.  He  married  Annie  J., 
daughter  of  Alexander  Flemming,  of  Bellows  Falls,  Vermont.  Their  chil- 
dren are  Emma  A.  (wife  of  Cornelius  B.  Fish),  Alice  H.,  Annie  F. ,  Alex- 
ander F.  and  Louise  C. 

Mr.  Popham  still  resides  in  the  old  homestead,  which  was  built  by  his 
grandfather.  Major  Popham,  in  1783.  It  adjoins  the  Morris  property  and  is 
rich  in  its  collection  of  antiques,  bric-a-brac  and  old  paintings.  A  portion  of 
the  tea-set  presented  to  Major  Popham  by  General  Washington  is  still  in 
possession  of  the  family. 

SAMUEL  W.   PALMER. 

Samuel  W.  Palmer,  an  honored  citizen  of  Armonk,  North  Castle  town- 
ship, and  one  of  the  brave  defenders  of  the  Union  during  the  trying  days  of 
the  civil  war,  is  a  native  of  Westchester  county,  born  in  North  Castle,  August 
8,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  R.  and  Eliza  (Wykoff)  Palmer,  representa- 
tives of  old  and  prominent  families  of  this  region.  His  parents  and  grand- 
parents were  also  natives  of  this  county,  and  his  maternal  grandfather  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  father,  who  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  died  in  1844,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-eight  years,  and  the  mother 
departed  this  life,  in  i860,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven.  Both  were  earnest, 
consistent  Christian  people,  the  former  a  member  of  the  Friends'  church,  the 
latter  of  the  Reformed  church.'  In  their  family  were  four  sons,  who  reached 
years  of  maturity,  and  three  were  among  the  "  boys  in  blue"  in  the  war  of 
the  Rebellion.  Besides  our  subject,  the  others  were  John,  who  was  wounded 
in  the  service,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Copnecticut;  Henry,  who  was  cor- 
poral in  the  First  New  York  Mounted  Rifles;  and  Charles,  who  died  in  1894. 

Samuel  W.  Palmer  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  township  and  acquired 
his  education  in  its  public  schools.  During  his  youth  he  also  learned  the  shoe- 
maker's trade,  which  he  successfully  followed  for  many  years.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1862,  however,  he  laid  aside  all  personal  interests  and  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany I,  First  New  York  Mounted  Rifles,  under  command  of  Captain  Thomas 
Farrgraves  and  Colonel  Dodge.  The  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of 
the  James,  and  was  under  General  Benjamin  F.  Butler  for  a  time.  They 
participated  in  many  battles  and  skirmishes  of  note,  were  in  the  siege  of 
Suffolk,  and  were  in  several  fights  with  General  Mosby's  troopers  and  bush- 
whackers. Although  he  entered  the  service  as  private,  Mr.  Palmer  was  pro- 
moted by  gallant  conduct  to  the  rank  of  corporal,  and  later  as  sergeant,  of 
Company  I.  The  war  being  over,  and  his  services  no  longer  needed,  he  was 
honorably  discharged  at  City  Point,  Virginia,  in  December,  1865,  and  was 
paid  off  and  mustered  out  at  Albany,  New  York. 

Mr.  Palmer  has   been  twice   married,  his  first  wife  being  Jane  Tucker, 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  675 

and  after  her  death  he  wedded  Clarissa  Demorest.  Politically  he  is  an  ardent 
Republican,  and  socially  is  an  honored  member  of  Cromwell  Post,  No.  466, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  White  Plains;  Mount  Kisco  Lodge,  No.  708,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  and 
Hebron  Lodge,  No.  229,  L  O.  O.  F.,  of  White  Plains.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  leading  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Armonk,  of  which 
he  is  one  of  the  trustees,  and  they  take  quite  an  active  and  prominent  part 
in  all  church  work.  His  loyalty  as  a  citizen  and  his  devotion  to  his  coun- 
try's interests  have  ever  been  among  his  marked  characteristics,  and  the  com- 
munity is  fortunate  that  numbers  him  among  its  citizens. 


LOCKWOOD  REYNOLDS. 


Lockwood  Reynolds,  of  Croton  Lake,  Somers  township,  Westchester 
county,  New  York,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead,  January  15,  1854,  and  is 
of  Puritan  stock,  tracing  his  ancestry  back  to  their  arrival  in  this  country  on 
the  Mayflower.  His  immediate  progenitors  were  Lockwood  Reynolds,  Sr. , 
his  father,  and  James  Reynolds,  his  grandfather.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
this  county,  born  in  Salem,  October  14,  1804,  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years,  November  3,  1881.  His  wife,  Hester  Ann,  nee  Baker,  was  born 
in  Somers,  this  county,  August  31,  1807,  and  died  August  23,  1886.  They 
both  passed  away  on  the  old  homestead  farm. 

Lockwood  Reynolds,  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood  on  this  farm,  and 
attended  the  public  schools.  October  24,  1871,  he  was  united  in  wedlock,  to 
Miss  Mariah  Dunscomb,  a  native  of  Flushing,  Long  Island,  and  a  student  in 
Bedford  Academy.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Garrett  and  Catherine  K.  (Brooks) 
Dunscomb  and  a  granddaughter  of  Edward  and  Mary  (Abell)  Dunscomb,  of 
England.  Garrett  and  Catherine  Dunscomb  were  residents  of  Croton  Lake, 
where  he  was  an  iron  merchant  and  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years,  June 
23,  1869.  His  wife  died  August  14,  1852,  at  the  age  of  thirty  years.  He 
was  a  Republican  in  his  political  affiliations.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reynolds 
have  been  born  five  children,  as  follows:  Elizabeth  D.,  who  lives  with  her 
parents;  Josephine  M.,  the  wife  of  Edward  B.  Rear;  Melville,  Florence  A. 
and  Charles  H.  The  family  are  communicants  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  while  in  politics  Mr.  Reynolds  is  a  Republican. 


DAVID  J.  ROBERTS,  M.  D. 

The  gentleman  to  whose  life  history  we  call  attention  at  this  point  in 
this  series  of  biographical  sketches,  Dr.  David  J.  Roberts,  of  New  Rochelle, 
is  a  good  representative  of  the  medical  profession  in  the  "  Empire  state." 

Dr.  Roberts  is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  Waterville,  Oneida  county. 


676  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

October  4,  1856,  in  which  county  his  father  and  mother,  Thomas  and  Sarah 
(Jones)  Roberts,  were  born.  The  Roberts  family  trace  their  origin  to 
England.  Several  generations,  however,  have  been  residents  of  America. 
Thomas  Roberts,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  for  many  years  a  miller  at 
Waterville.  On  his  mother's  side  Dr.  Roberts  is  of  Welsh  descent  and  his 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Elias  Jones. 

In  his  native  town  Dr.  Roberts  spent  his  youthful  days  and  received 
his  early  education  in  its  public  schools,  completing  his  studies  in  the 
Waterville  Academy  in  1876  and  graduating.  Choosing  the  medical  pro- 
fession for  his  life  work,  he  entered  upon  his  studies  for  the  same  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  W.W.  Blackner,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  subsequeatly  be- 
came a  student  in  the  New  York  Homeopathic  Hospital  College,  at  which 
institution  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1886.  Afterward  he  spent  one  year 
in  Ward's  Island  Hospital,  where  he  still  further  prepared  himself  for  his 
professional  duties.  At  the  end  of  that  year  he  engaged  in  a  general  practice 
in  New  York  city,  but  remained  there  only  a  short  time  and  in  1887  came  to 
New  Rochelle,  where  he  has  since  conducted  a  successful  practice,  his  genial, 
sympathetic  manner  together  with  his  skill  as  a  physician  having  brought 
him  into  favor  with  all  who  have  required  his  services,  and  he  has  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 

Dr.  Roberts  is  identified  with  numerous  fraternal  organizations,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy;  New  York  State  Society, 
of  which  in  1897  he  was  vice-president;  the  Westchester  County  Medical 
Society,  of  which  he  was  president  in  1897;  New  York  Pathological  Society; 
National  Society  of  Therapeutics;  Hahnemannian,  of  which  he  is  vice-presi- 
dent; president  of  the  Chiron  Club  of  Physicians;  and  the  Metropolitan  Hos- 
pital Alumni  Association,  of  which  he  is  treasurer. 


JOHN    F.   HUNTER,   M.   D. 

Dr.  John  F.  Hunter,  the  leading  physician  of  Mamaroneck,  was  born 
March  16,  1865,  in  this  village.  His  father,  Francis  Hunter,  is  a  native  of 
France,  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  army  of  that  country,  and  came  to  America 
when  a  young  man,  settling  in  New  Rochelle,  New  York,  and  later  here  at 
Mamaroneck,  where  he  died  May  30,  1898.  He  married  Catharine  Mulli- 
gan, who  is  a  native  of  county  Monaghan,  Ireland,  and  is  now  sixty-three 
years  of  age. 

Dr.  Hunter,  their  only  child,  grew  up  and  was  educated  in  his  native 
village,  attending  the  public  schools  and  St.  John's  College,  at  Fordham, 
New  York.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  was  matriculated  at  the  Bellevue 
Hospital  Medical  College,  in  New  York  city,  made  himself  conscientiously 


'T'/ .^^'t^C^<,ycZZ^^ 


»      ' 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  677 

thorough  in  the  prescribed  three-years  curriculum  of  the  institution,  and 
graduated  in  1889.  Added  to  this,  he  also  studied  for  two  years  in  the 
Northwestern  Dispensary,  and  was  assistant  surgeon  under  Dr.  George 
Thompson,  professor  of  diseases  of  women,  and  an  eminent  practitioner  of 
general  surgery.  Then  he  opened  an  office  in  New  York  city  and  zealously 
followed  his  profession  for  two  years,  enjoying  a  splendid  practice.  Over- 
work, however,  brought  upon  him  a  weakened  condition,  which  compelled 
him  to  leave  the  city,  in  1891,  when  he  chose  Mamaroneck  for  his  new  and 
more  healthful  residence,  and  since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  continuous 
practice,  in  partnership  with  Dr.  Joseph  Hoffman  until  his  death,  June 
20,   1892. 

In  politics  the  Doctor  is  a  stanch  and  active  Democrat,  both  in  town  and 
county,  but  has  never  been  willing  to  accept  office.  He  is  a  member  of 
Apawamos  Lodge,  No.  800,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  of  Golden  Cross  Lodge,  L  O.  O.  F., 
and  of  the  orders  of  Red  Men  and  Foresters;  and  in  religion  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Catholic  church.  This  large-hearted,  broad-minded,  genial  and  whole- 
souled  man  is  very  popular,  and,  we  repeat,  the  leading  physician  of 
Mamaroneck. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Madeline  Baron,  of  New  York,  and 
they  have  one  daughter,  whom  they  have  named  Jessie. 


CHARLES  E.  HARTSHORN. 

One  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Yonkers  for  the  past  eight  years  has 
been  the  gentleman  whose  name  forms  the  heading  of  this  biography.  He 
built  and  owns  a  handsome  residence  at  Belvidere  place,  it  having  been  con- 
structed after  plans  drawn  up  by  himself.  He  is  a  Republican  and  takes  an 
aggressive  part  in  local  affairs,  especially  in  such  as  pertain  to  the  improve- 
ment of  his  own  section  of  the  city.  Many  important  changes  for  the  better 
in  the  condition  of  streets,  sewers,  etc.,  have  been  made  through  the  persist- 
ent efforts  of  Mr.  Hartshorn  and  a  few  other  leading  citizens,  banded 
together  under  the  name  of  the  Yonkers  Improvement  Association,  which 
society  was  founded  largely  through  his  influence.  At  the  same  time  he  is 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  South  Yonkers  Improvement 
Association.  Always  a  worker  in  the  party  of  his  choice,  he  has  often  been 
sent  as  a  delegate  to  various  nominating  committees,  and  at  present  he  is  a 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  his  ward. 

Charles  Edward  Hartshorn,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Ulster  county.  New  York, 
August  12,  18 1 7.  For  over  thirty  years  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  various  appliances  and  supplies  for  lire  departments,  includ- 
ing engines,  trucks,  ladders,   etc.     He  is  the   inventor  and  patentee  of  the 


678  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

extension  ladder,  with  endless  chain,  now  in  use  in  all  civilized  countries  in 
the  world.  Many  other  devices  which  have  been  in  general  use  for  years  in 
the  fire  departments  of  cities,  here  and  abroad,  were  patented  by  him,  and 
for  a  long  period  he  supplied  New  York  city  with  all  of  its  equipment  in  this 
line.  The  Hartshorn  horse  truck,  which  supplanted  the  old-style  hand 
truck,  was  also  his  idea.  His  place  of  business  was  at  1 19-12 1  Walker 
street,  New  York  city.  Formerly  he  was  an  active  Democratic  partisan,  but 
though  he  was  often  urged  to  accept  public  ofBce  he  persistently  refused 
such  honor.  He  was  solicited  to  become  a  candidate  for  alderman,  and  just 
prior  to  the  election  of  the  mayor  he  was  tendered  the  candidacy  for  the 
legislature,  and,  as  usual,  he  refused  both.  For  years  an  active  Odd  Fellow, 
he  lived  to  be  the  oldest  living  past  master  of  Manhattan  Lodge,  No.  62. 
This  lodge,  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  state  of  New  York,  was  organized  in 
1824.  A  member  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John,  he  had  the  honor  of  wearing 
the  Red  Chapter  colors  of  that  order.  After  1873  he  was  retired  from  active 
business,  and  until  a  short  time  before  his  death,  when  his  daughter  was 
married,  he  resided  in  Brooklyn,  and  after  that  he  lived  with  her  in  Peekskill, 
New  York.  In  religious  work,  as  in  everything  in  which  he  was  interested, 
he  was  very  prominent  and  zealous.  For  years  he  was  identified  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  occupied  about  all  the  official  positions  of 
the  local  society.  He  married,  in  1845,  Mary  Jane  Munday,  and  in  1895 
they  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  anniversary.  Of  their  ten  children  all 
but  the  eldest-born,  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  infancy,  lived  to  mature 
years.  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Matthew  J.  Le  Fever,  a  wholesale  meat  dealer 
in  Peekskill;  William  A.,  deceased,  was  connected  with  the  Park  National 
Bank  of  New  York  city;  Samuel  L.,  deceased,  was  employed  in  the  Sixth 
National  Bank  in  the  same  city;  Katie  I.,  whose  death  occurred  in  1895, 
was  the  wife  of  Oran  J.  Lederer,  of  Peekskill;  Frank  O.  is  the  proprietor  of 
Washington  Market  in  Yonkers;  Anna  is  the  wife  of  William  H.  Ingham,  of 
this  city,  who  is  employed  by  a  large  piano  house  of  New  York  city;  David 
O.  is  the  next  in  order  of  birth,  and  Ida  is  the  wife  of  Stephen  A.  Peene,  of 
the  Yonkers  Steam  Laundry. 

Charles  Edward  Hartshorn,  Jr.,  was  born  December  i,  1846,  in  New 
York  city,  and  until  he  was  sixteen  years  old  he  attended  the  public  schools 
and  academies  of  that  place.  He  was  in  business  with  his  father  until  1872, 
when  he  opened  a  dry-goods  and  house-furnishing  establishment  at  Nos.  250 
and  252  Carroll  street.  Here  he  made  a  specialty  of  equipping  institutions 
with  beds  and  bedding,  clothing,  etc.,  and  continued  in  this  line  for  some 
three  or  four  years,  after  which  he  commenced  importing  needles  and 
scissors,  notions,  etc.,  and  gave  his  attention  to  this  branch  of  business  for 
nine  or  ten  years.      Since  that  he  has  been  occupied  as  before,  in  the  furnish- 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  679 

ing  of  supplies  to  institutions  of  various  kinds,  and  in  the  taking  of  contracts 
for  the  repair  and  construction  of  public  buildings.  His  business  is  not 
merely  local,  but  has  often  extended  into  adjacent  counties.  In  addition  to 
his  regular  line  he  has  been  awarded  contracts  for  furnishing  supplies  to  the 
navy,  and  has  met  with  marked  success  in  his  enterprises.  He  is  a  member 
of  Manhattan  Lodge,  of  New  York  city,  the  one  with  which  his  father  has 
been  so  long  associated,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Lowerre  Hose  Company 
of  Yonkers.      Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed  church. 

The  marriage  of  C.  E.  Hartshorn,  Jr.,  and  Miss  Harriet  E.  Smith,  of 
New  York  city,  was  solemnized  on  the  i6th  of  October,  1872.  Mrs.  Harts- 
horn's father,  Jeremiah  H.  Smith,  was  engaged  in  the  crockery  and  queens- 
ware  business  in  the  metropolis  for  a  number  of  years.  The  only  child  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartshorn  is  Prescott  Barker,  a  traveling  salesman  and  a  most 
exemplary  young  man  in  every  respect.  Judging  by  what  he  has  already 
achieved  his  future  is  one  of  great  promise,  and  his  parents  have  just  occa- 
sion to  be  proud  of  him. 

CHARLES  HENRY    HEINSOHN. 

A  very  energetic  and  successful  business  man  and  a  patriotic  citizen  is 
the  subject  of  this  record,  he  being  a  resident  of  Mount  Vernon,  Westches- 
ter county.  For  seventeen  years  he  has  been  a  trusted  employee  of  the 
Carroll  Box  &  Lumber  Company,  one  of  the  largest  lumber  concerns  and  ex- 
porters of  greater  New  York,  rising  from  a  position  as  office-boy  to  a  place 
which  is  as  responsible  as  any  in  the  business.  Since  October,  1891,  he  has 
been  connected  with  the  Mount  Vernon  fire  department,  of  which,  in  July, 
1898,  he  was  appointed  chief.  His  first  service  was  for  the  Washington 
Engine  Company,  with  which  he  continued  for  several  years,  being  its  sec- 
retary for  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  period  he  was  elected  to  the  posi- 
tion of  second  assistant  chief  of  the  city  fire  department.  Subsequently,  the 
Fire  Commissioners  appointed  him  to  the  place  of  first  assistant  chief,  and 
his  next  promotion  was  to  the  responsible  office  he  now  holds,  with  great 
credit.  The  department,  which  is  one  of  volunteers,  comprises  two  hundred 
and  eighty  members,  divided  into  nine  companies.  They  have  one  steam 
engine,  two  hand  engines  and  all  the  latest  equipments  in  general  commonly 
employed.  The  Mount  Vernon  fire  department  is  the  best  volunteer  depart- 
ment in  the  state.  A  large  share  of  praise  is  accorded  Chief  Heinsohn  for 
the  energetic,  practical  methods  he  employs  and  advocates,  and  his  devotion 
to  his  duties,  which  are  not  light.  The  state  reports  show  that  the  fire  losses 
of  this  town  within  recent  years  has  been  but  eight  per  cent,  of  the  value  of 
property  involved,  which  speaks  well  for  the  efficiency  of  our  volunteer  fire 
department  and  its  able  officers. 


680  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

The  Heinsohns  are  primarily  [rom  Hanover,  Germany,  but  the  father  of 
our  subject,  Carsten  Henry  Heinsohn,  was  born  in  Hanover  and  came  to  this 
country  from  London  when  a  lad  of  twelve  years.  He  became  a  resident  of 
New  York  city  and  for  eight  or  ten  years  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness at  the  corner  of  Thirty-seventh  street  and  Eighth  avenue.  Later  he 
embarked  in  the  confectionery  trade,  but  during  his  last  years  he  was  retired 
and  lived  in  Hoboken,  New  Jersey.  His  death  occurred  December  5,  1874, 
when  he  was  fifty-eight  years  of  age.  His  widow,  whose  girlhood  name  was 
Christina  Beck,  is  still  living.  Mr.  Heinsohn  was  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  in  religion  was  a  Lutheran.  In  his  family  were  two  daughters, — Mrs.  J. 
B.  Lotz  and  Mrs.  William  Schmidt.  The  latter  is  the  wife  of  the  president 
of  the  Stock  Brewery  of  San  Francisco,  and  one  of  their  sons  married  a 
daughter  of  Senator  Perkins,  of  California.  William,  the  eldest  son  of  C. 
H.  Heinsohn,  Sr. ,  is  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  Richard,  in  the  hard- 
ware business  in  Mount  Vernon,  the  firm  being  known  as  that  of  Heinsohn 
Brothers. 

The  birth  of  Charles  H.  Heinsohn  took  place  in  New  York  city,  July 
22,  1863.  He  graduated  from  the  public  schools  of  the  metropolis  in  1877, 
and  for  the  following  three  years  was  employed  in  a  jewelry-manufacturing 
business.  He  then  studied  law  for  one  year,  under  Henry  W.  Gould,  sec- 
retary of  the  Richmond  Land  Company,  and  in  1881  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Carroll  Box  &  Lumber  Company,  with  whom  he  has  since  continued, 
working  upward  by  rapid  promotions,  from  errand  boy  to  tally  clerk,  shipping 
clerk  (in  which  capacity  he  served  for  eight  years),  superintendent  of  the 
yards  and  outside  salesman  and  superintendent.  At  no  time  did  he  ever  re- 
quest a  better  position  or  an  increase  in  salary,  but  his  genuine  worth  to  the 
firm  and  his  manifest  ability  brought  their  reward  in  the  esteem  of  the  com- 
pany and  in  material  recognition  thereof.  Among  his  other  financial  inter- 
ests, he  is  a  member  of  -the  New  York  &  Suburban  Building  &  Loan  Associa- 
tion. 

In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Heinsohn  is  deservedly  popular.  He  is  fond  of 
athletics,  particularly  of  bowHng,  at  which  he  is  an  expert.  He  belongs  to 
various  local  clubs  and  is  connected  with  the  Hiawatha  Lodge  of  the  F.  & 
A.  M. ;  Zetland  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ,  and  Exempt  Firemen's  Association,  of 
New  York,  etc.  Politically,  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  as  was  his  father  be- 
fore him. 

JOHN  EMBREE. 
One  of  the  old  families  of  Westchester  county  is  represented  by  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  heads  this  sketch.      His  grandfather  Embree  came  here 
from  England  at  an  early  period  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  this 


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WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  631 

county  as  long  as  he  lived.  Of  his  three  sons,  Lewis,  John  and  Samuel,  the 
latter,  born  at  West  Farms,  Westchester  county,  was  the  father  of  John 
Embree,  of  whom  we  write.  He  was  a  life-long  farmer,  and  for  years  owned 
a  valuable  homestead  comprising  one  hundred  acres,  it  being  situated,  in 
part,  within  the  present  limits  of  the  city  of  Yonkers,  in  the  seventh  ward. 
During  the  war  of  1812  he  was  called  into  service  and  was  ready  for  action 
whenever  he  should  be  required.  He  was  a  Whig,  politically,  and  in  religious 
faith  was  an  Episcopalian.  Death  came  to  him  as  the  result  of  falling  from 
a  wagon,  his  injuries  being  severe  and  terminating  fatally.  The  death  of  his 
wife,  whose>  maiden  name  was  Catherine  Garrison,  took  place  when  she  was 
in  her  sixty-first  year.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  namely: 
Stephen,  James,  Mary  Blount,  Isaac,  John,  Robert,  William,  Emmanuel, 
Elizabeth  Leeds  and  Susan  Reed. 

John  Embree  was  born  in  Yonkers,  November  6,  1821,  and  attended  the 
district  schools  of  this  city.  Having  gained  a  liberal  education,  he  devoted 
his  time  to  farming  and  remained  with  his  father  until  he  was  twenty-eight 
years  of  age.  Then  entering  a  different  line  of  business  entirely,  he  built 
Main,  Orchard,  Washington  and  many  other  important  streets  in  Yonkers, 
and  up  to  1870  was  associated  with  his  brother  Robert  as  a  partner.  From 
the  year  mentioned  until  some  time  in  1 871,  he  was  again  occupied 
in  agricultural  pursuits  at  Yorktown,  Westchester  county,  after  which  he 
established  his  present  grocery.  He  bought  and  built  his  present  store  prop- 
erty and  has  since  successfully  conducted  a  grocery  business,  in  which  his  son 
Ethelbert  B.  is  now  associated  with  him.  Also,  for  fifteen  years  he  has  been 
a  director  of  the  People's  Savings  Bank  of  Yonkers.  By  excellent  practical 
methods  and  general  reliability  he  has  won  the  confidence  of  all  who  know 
him,  and  his  warmest  friends  are  numbered  among  his  customers  of  years' 
standing.  Formerly  he  was  identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  but  he  is 
now  somewhat  independent  of  party  lines,  choosing  to  give  his  allegiance  to 
the  men  and  platform  which  most  nearly  express  his  views  at  the  time  of 
election.  Religiously,  he  is  a  consistent  Christian,  a  member  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Yonkers. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1848,  Mr.  Embree  married  Miss  Sarah  Roake, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Roake,  who  was  a  farmer  and  carpenter  of  Yorktown, 
Westchester  county,  and  who  is  still  living,  being  now  in  the  ninety-third  year 
of  his  age.  The  three  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Embree  are  Joseph  R.,  who 
is  carrying  on  a  successful  livery  business  in  this  city;  Ethelbert  B.,  who  is  in 
the  grocery  business  with  his  father;  and  Kate  L. ,  wife  of  William  B.  Lull,  a 
jeweler  in  New  York  city,  but  whose  home  is  in  Yonkers.  Mrs.  Embree  is 
now  sixty-seven  years  of  age,  and,  with  her  husband,  is  entering  upon  a  peace- 


682  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

ful,  contented  old  age,  blessed  in  the  thought  of  the  good  that  has  been 
accomplished  through  their  united,  unostentatious  efforts  to  benefit  and  help 
their  fellow-men. 

JAMES  SLADE. 

A  representative  citizen  and  leading  business  man  of  Yonkers  for  a 
period  of  nearly  forty  years  is  James  Slade,  superintendent  of  the  Yonkers 
Gas  Company,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  flourishing  concerns  of  the  kind 
in  the  state  of  New  York.  He  is  also  extensively  interested  in  .real  estate, — 
business  and  residence  property, — and  has  done  much  toward  the  upbuilding 
and  beautifying  of  the  city. 

Born  December  22,  1836,  James  Slade  is  a  son  of  George  and  Catherine 
(Vincent)  Slade.  Bath,  Somersetshire,  England,  was  the  place  of  his  birth, 
and  in  that  section  of  the  British  isles  several  generations  of  his  ancestors 
resided.  George  Slade,  whose  occupation  in  life  was  that  of  a  forester  and 
sawyer,  lived  and  died  in  Somersetshire,  as  did  also  his  father,  Jesse  Slade. 
To  the  union  of  our  subject's  parents  six  children  were  born,  namely:  George, 
Elizabeth,  Eliza,  James,  Stephen  and  Edward.  The  father  died  at  the  age 
of  forty-four  years,  and  the  mother  lived  to  attain  her  sixty-fifth  year.  Three 
of  the  sons  and  one  daughter  came  to  the  United  States. 

Having  completed  his  common-school  education,  James  Slade  took  a 
position  as  a  clerk  in  a  store,  and  in  1855  came  to  this  country.  After 
clerking  for  three  years  in  the  city  of  New  York,  he  removed  to  Lynchburg, 
Virginia,  and  finally,  in  i860,  he  became  a  permanent  resident  of  Yonkers, 
and  the  same  year  witnessed  his  first  connection  with  the  Yonkers  Gas  Com- 
pany. The  output  of  the  gas  plant  at  that  time  was  from  thirty  to  thirty- 
five  thousand  cubic  feet  a  day,  whereas,  at  present  nine  hundred  thousand 
feet  a  day  are  produced.  Employment  is  given  to  a  large  number  of  men, 
frequently  being  over  one  hundred  at  one  time.  Business  is  rapidly  increas- 
ing, and  gas  is  being  used  more  and  more  for  fuel,  on  account  of  its  conven- 
ience and  cheapness,  it  being  furnished  to  the  consumer  at  one  dollar  and 
thirty-five  cents  a  thousand  feet,  while  formerly  the  rate  paid  was  five  dollars 
and  seventy-five  cents  a  thousand.  The  gas  plant  is  modern  and  well  equipped 
in  every  particular  and  is  valued  at  one  million  and  a  quarter  of  dollars. 
The  company  has  absorbed  three  other  competing  ones, — the  Westchester 
Gas  Company,  the  Municipal  Gas  Company,  and  the  Strong  Fuel  Gas  Com- 
pany, and  continues  to  use  their  holders.  The  company  supplies  Spuyten 
Duyvil,  Mount  St.  Vincent,  Kingsbridge,  Woodlawn,  Riverdale,  Yonkers, 
and  points  as  far  north  as  Hastings.  For  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  Mr.  Slade 
has  been  one  of  the  directors  in  the  gas  company,  being  among  the  longest 
on  the  board,  in  fact,  having  served  longer  than   all  save  one,  Robert  P. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  683 

Getty.  The  other  directors  are  WilHam  Warburton  Scrugham,  president, 
Harold  Brown,  Henry  K.  Bangs,  Alfred  Jones,  William  Robinson,  Alexander 
Smith  Cochran,  and  Samuel  D.  Babcock.  The  offices  of  the  company  are 
at  the  corner  of  Wells  street  and  North  Broadway. 

To  the  excellent  business  management  and  careful  personal  supervision 
of  James  Slade  much  of  the  success  which  the  Yonkers  Gas  Company  enjoys 
must  be  attributed.  He  is  an  able  financier  and  has  made  investments,  on 
his  own  account,  in  real  estate,  tenements,  business  property  and  residences 
in  this  city  and  elsewhere,  and  with  few  exceptions  he  has  made  a  distinct 
success  of  his  undertakings.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Hon- 
or. Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  in  local  affairs  votes  for  the 
man  whom  he  considers  best  qualified  for  any  office.  In  religious  faith  he  is 
an  Episcopalian,  but  he  attends  the  Baptist  church. 

In  1864  Mr.  Slade  married  Miss  Mary  Nolan,  and  they  have  four  sons, 
of  whom  they  have  reason  to  be  proud.  Richmond  E.  is  superintendent  of 
the  Gas  &  Electric  Company  at  White  Plains,  New  York.  He  is  a  graduate 
of  Columbia  College,  married  a  Miss  Wiggins  and  has  two  children.  Clif- 
ford L. ,  the  second  son,  is  superintendent  of  the  gas  and  electric  light  plant 
at  Port  Chester,  New  York.  Foster  C,  a  graduate  of  Cornell  College,  and 
a  mechanical  engineer,  now  in  the  employ  of  James  R.  Floyd's  Sons,  mechan- 
ical engineers  and  contractors,  of  New  York  city.  Harvey  is  now  attending 
Columbia  College,  is  in  the  school  of  arts,  and  is  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1899-  

JAMES  BROWN  ODELL. 

Thirty  years  ago  this  well  and  favorably  known  merchant  of  Yonkers 
embarked  in  the  grocery  business  here,  and  during  this  period  the  volume  of 
his  trade  has  increased  until  it  is  now  equaled  by  few  houses  in  this  line  in 
Westchester  county.  Industry  and  strict  attention  to  business  rarely  fail  to 
bring  success  in  some  degree,  but  additional  qualities,  almost  amounting  to 
genius,  seem  essential  to  great  prosperity,  and  certainly  Mr.  Odell  possesses 
marked  ability  as  a  financier.  While  he  has  devoted  his  time  and  energies 
to  the  building  up  and  management  of  his  large  business,  he  has  never  failed 
in  his  duties  as  a  citizen.  During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  he  served  in  the 
Union  army  as  a  member  of  Company  H,  Seventeenth  New  York  militia. 
Politically  he  supports  the  Republican  platform,  and  is  quite  active  in  the 
advancement  of  the  interests  of  his  party.  In  Grand  Army  circles  he  is  well 
known  and  deservedly  popular,  his  membership  having  been  with  Fremont 
Post,  No.  590. 

The  Odells  are  old  and  honored  residents  of  Westchester  county. 
Joshua  Odell,  the  great-great-grandfather  of  James  B.  Odell,  of  this  sketch,. 


€84  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

was  born  November  4,  1707,  and  his  wife,  Sarah,  was  born  August  2,  1713. 
Their  son,  born  May  2,  1733,  was  christened  Joshua.      His  home  was  on  a 
farm  now  comprised  in  Mount  Hope  cemetery,  then  called  the  Odell  farm,  and 
there  he  resided  until  death.     He  married  Mary  Vincent  and  their  children  were 
John,  Abraham,  Joseph,  James,  Isaac,  Daniel,  SarahTuttle,  and  Abigail  Under- 
bill.    The  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  later  espoused 
the  principles  of  the  old  Democratic  party.      His  son  James,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  on  the   ancestral  home- 
stead (Mount  Hope  cemetery)  December  13,  1775.      Following  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  patriotic  father,  he  tendered  his  services  in  the  second  war  with 
Great  Britain,  and  was  for  a  short  time  in  the  American  army,  as  a  private. 
He  owned  a  small  farm  in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  and  was  a  weaver  by 
trade.      In  1809  he  built  a  house   for  his  family  upon  his  property,  which 
■domicile  is  still  standing,  and,  at  the  end  of  the  ninety  years  intervening,  is 
in  a  fair  state  of  preservation.      Mr.  Odell  was  not  only  a  farmer  but   was 
also  a  weaver  of  cloth  and  blankets,  and    was  quite   skillful   in  that   trade. 
Very  active  in  religious  enterprise,  he  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church  of  Dobbs  Ferry.     For  his  wife  he  chose  Elizabeth  Odell, 
who,  though  having  the  same  surname,   came  from   another  branch  of  the 
family.     Their  children  were  as  follows:     Mary  McKenny,  born  August  23, 
1800;  Isaac,  October  28,  1802;  Daniel,  August  21,  1804;  Ann  Foster,  March 
16,  1807;  Benjamin,   February  26,    1809;  Lawrence,  June  20,  1812;  Eliza, 
-August  7,  1814;  Susan  Wood,  December  12,  1816;  Jane,  November  26,  1819; 
Caroline  Keeler,  August  24,    1822;  and  Harriet  A.   Keeler,  July    13,  1827. 
Eliza  died  unmarried,  and  of  the  entire  family  only  Mrs.  Jane  Wilsea  survives. 
The  parents  of  James  B.  Odell  were  Isaac   and  Bertha  (Corwin)  Odell, 
the  former  a  native  of  the  town  of  Greenburg,  this  county,  and  the  latter  of 
Long  Island.     The  father  was  born  October  28,  1802,  and  spent  his  whole 
Jife  in  the  vicinity  of  his  birthplace.      He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  was 
-quite  successful  as  a  business  man.      He  was  summoned  to  the  silent  land  in 
1842,  when  just  at  the  prime  of  life,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Dobbs 
Ferry.      In  religious  creed  he  was  a  Presbyterian,  as  was  his  father  before 
him,  and  in  political  faith  he,  too,  was  a   Democrat.     His   widow  survived 
-him  for  more  than  half  a  century,  her  demise  occurring  in  1895,  when  she 
was  in  her  eighty-third  year.     Their  five  children  were  Mary  A. ;  James  B. ; 
John  F.,  deceased;  WiUiam  H.;  and  Caroline,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
years.       Mary    A.    is  the   wife    of  Leonard    W.     Elliott,    for    thirty   years 
a   member    of   the    New   York  police   force,   and  now  retired    and    a   resi- 
dent  of   Yonkers.     William    H. ,  also  a  citizen  of  this  place,   is    an  expert 
mechanical  engineer,   and   is  a  member  of   the  American  Society   of   Civil 
Engineers. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  685- 

James  Brown  Odell  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the  town  of 
Greenburg,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
calling  he  followed  for  about  ten  years.  Then  for  three  years  he  operated  an 
engine  in  a  machine  shop,  and  in  1868,  in  company  with  Henry  B.  Jones,  he 
started  in  the  grocery  business  in  Yonkers.  At  the  expiration  of  four  years 
Mr.  Odell  purchased  his  partner's  interest  in  the  business,  and  soon  after- 
ward became  associated  with  John  J.  Littebrandt,  formerly  one  of  his  clerks. 
The  firm  have  ever  since  carried  on  the  business  under  the  style  of  Odell  & 
Littebrandt.  They  now  employ  seven  clerks  and  keep  constantly  in  requi- 
sition five  delivery  wagons.  From  small  proportions  their  trade,  exclusively 
retail  in  character,  has  grown  until  the  annual  transactions  have  reached  an 
average  aggregate  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Odell  is  a  member 
of  the  Yonkers  board  of  trade  and  is  the  executor  of  the  Barnes  estate,  the 
property  of  the  late  Reuben  Barnes,  father  of  his  wife.  For  a  score  of  years 
he  has  been  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of 
Yonkers,  and  has  long  held  membership  in  this  congregation. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Odell  was  solemnized  November  5,  1859,  when 
Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Leander  Hodges,  became  his  bride.  She  died  May  19, 
1864,  aged  twenty-four  years.  They  became  the  parents  of  two  children, — 
George  F.,  to  whom  individual  reference  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  work;, 
and  Ada  King,  who  died  May  2,  1864,  aged  two  and  one-half  years.  Mrs. 
Odell's  maternal  grandfather,  Stephen  Battison,  was  born  in  1740,  and 
resided  at  Georgetown,  Connecticut.  He  was  aide-de-camp  on  the  staff  of 
a  general  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  His  wife  lived  to  attain' 
remarkable  longevity,  her  death  occurring  when  she  had  reached  the 
venerable  age  of  ninety-nine  years.  Leander  Hodges  was  born  in  George- 
town, Connecticut,  and  came  to  Yonkers  in  the  '40s.  Here  he  became  quite 
influential  and  prominent  in  business,  political  and  church  circles.  For  some 
time  he  represented  the  second  ward  as  alderman  in  the  city  council.  Very 
zealous  and  devoted  in  the  cause  of  religion,  he  was  prominently  identified 
with  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  this  city,  and,  having  prepared" 
himself  for  the  ministry,  he  was  enabled  to  wield  a  distinct  and  valuable 
influence  as  a  local  preacher  and  exhorter.  He  married  Sarah  Burt  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  two  children, — Mary  A.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Odell,  and  George  J. 

On  the  i8th  of  October,  1870,  James  B.  Odell  consummated  a  second 
marriage,  being  then  united  to  Miss  Martha  Barnes,  daughter  of  Reuben  and 
Mary  (Hodge)  Barnes,  of  Yonkers.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  honored  and 
prominent  citizens  of  Yonkers  for  many  years,  having  located  here  in  1852. 
To  him  and  his  wife  more  detailed  consideration  is  given  on  other  pages  of 
this  compilation.      Mrs.  Odell  entered  into  eternal  rest  on  the  21st  of  June,. 


6S6  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

1894,  leaving  two  daughters, — Gertrude  Wilhelmina,  who  was  a  successful 
teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Yonkers,  and  who  was  married  April  20, 
1899,  to  Mr.  B.  Eugene  Sperry,  of  Ridgefield,  Connecticut;  and  Mary  L., 
who  still  remains  at  the  paternal  home,  on  Hawthorne  avenue. 


CHARLES   R.   CRISFIELD. 

Among  the  representative  business  men  of  Yonkers,  New  York,  is  found 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Charles  R.  Crisfield,  who  dates  his  birth  at  this 
place  December  7,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  English  parents,  John  and  Martha 
(Beale)  Crisfield. 

About  1830  John  Crisfield,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  two  children, 
emigrated  to  this  country,  making  the  voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel  and  being 
seven  weeks  on  the  sea.  Landing  in  New  York  city,  he  took  up  his  abode 
there  and  began  life  in  the  New  World  as  a  dry-goods  peddler.  Later  he 
opened  a  store  in  New  York  and  in  connection  with  it  ran  a  wagon,  selling 
goods  throughout  the  adjacent  part  of  Westchester  county.  His  location 
was  first  on  Canal  street  and  later  in  Harlem,  and  at  length  he  came  to  Yonk- 
ers and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  opening  the  Squangum  House  on 
North  Broadway,  where  William  Welsh's  store  is  now  situated.  He  was 
subsequently  engaged  in  the  dry-goods  business  at  Saugerties,  New  York, 
and  later  he  returned  to  Yonkers,  and  on  a  tract  of  twenty-three  acres, 
which  he  had  previously  purchased,  opposite  Caryl  station,  for  one  thousand 
dollars,  he  built  a  residence.  The  taxes  upon  this  property  at  that  time 
were  only  four  dollars  and  eighty  cents.  Afterward  he  sold  thirteen  acres  to 
Mr.  St.  Vincent,  for  seven  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  and  in  1898  the  heirs 
disposed  of  the  remainder  of  the  property,  ten  acres,  for  sixty  thousand  dol- 
lars; and,  as  showing  the  increase  in  the  valuation  of  this  property,  it  may 
be  stated  that  that  year  the  taxes  were  six  hundred  dollars.  After  his  return 
to  Yonkers,  Mr.  Crisfield  engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  opposite  the  Man- 
sion House,  and  next  to  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  where  he  continued  for 
eighteen  or  twenty  years,  after  which  he  retired.  He  was  a  Democrat  and  a 
man  of  local  prominence.  For  twenty-four  years  he  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace  at  Yonkers.  A  member  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  church,  active  and 
influential,  he  served  in  various  official  capacities,  filling  the  offices  of  deacon, 
elder,  etc.  Fraternally,  he  was  identified  with  the  L  O.  O.  F.  He  died 
June  I,  1880,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years;  his  wife,  in  1879,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  namely:  John, 
deceased;  Eliza,  wife  of  Robert  Lawrence,  of  Yonkers,  deceased;  the  next 
two  in  order  of  birth  died  in  infancy;  Mary  Ann,  widow  of  Martin  B. 
Demorest,   a  carpenter  of  Nyack,  New  Jersey;  Martha  J.,  wife  of  John  J. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  687 

Banty,  a  carpenter  of  Deland,  Florida;  George  H.,  who  is  in  the  real-estate 
business  at  Yonkers,  married  Susan  Van  Tassel;  T.  W. ,  who  resides  in 
Irvington,  is  engaged  in  the  livery  business  there  and  is  clerk  of  the  town; 
Emily  V.,  wife  of  William  Read,  resides  at  Nyack,  New  Jersey;  Charles  R. , 
whose  name  graces  this  sketch;  and  Jessie,  wife  of  James  B.  Strang,  a 
retired  farmer  of  Stamford,  Connecticut. 

Charles  R.  Crisfield  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  left  school  and  began  learning  the 
butcher's  business,  working  with  his  brother  John,  with  whom  he  remained 
five  years.  After  this  he  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account,  at  the  old 
home  place  opposite  Caryl,  where  he  remained  twelve  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time,  in  1878,  he  purchased  his  present  place  and  built  his  market, 
barn,  etc.,  and  here  he  has  since  been  successfully  engaged  in  the  butcher  busi- 
ness. Adjacent  to  his  residence  he  owns  a  number  of  lots,  sixteen  in  all 
which  have  grown  very  valuable.  His  is  one  of  the  oldest  established 
markets  in  Yonkers,  and  he  enjoys  a  large  trade  at  Riverdale  as  well  as 
Yonkers,  his  business  requiring  two  wagons. 

Mr.  Crisfield  is  independent  in  his  political  views,  and  has  never  sought 
or  held  office,  his  own  private  affairs  demanding  the  whole  of  his  time  and 
attention.  He  was  once  a  member  of  Hope  Hook  &  Ladder  Company.  He 
worships  with  the  Reformed  church,  of  which  he  is  a  consistent  member. 

Mr.  Crisfield  was  married  April  22,  1880,  to  Miss  Antoinette  Radford,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Radford,  and  they  have  five  children,  viz.:  Walter  R. , 
Richard  W. ,  Louis  R.,  Delia  and  Charles  B. 


AUGUSTUS  VAN  CORTLANDT. 

Augustus  Van  Cortlandt,  the  second  son  in  his  father's  family,  married 
for  his  first  wife  Miss  Cuyler,  and  after  her  decease  Miss  Catherine  Barclay, 
of  Santa  Cruz,  West  Indies.  His  children  were  James  Van  Cortlandt,  born 
March  3,  1736,  and  died  April  i,  1781;  Helen,  born  January  4,  1768,  and 
married  James  Morris,  of  Morrisania  (whose  son,  Augustus  Frederick  Morris, 
assumed  the  name  of  Van  Cortlandt,  and  inherited  from  his  grandfather  a 
part  of  his  estate  in  Lower  Yonkers);  and  Anna,  born  January  18,  1766,  who 
married  Henry  White,  son  of  Henry  White  and  Eva  Van  Cortlandt. 

For  many  years  prior  to  the  Revolution,  Augustus  Van  Cortlandt  was 
clerk  of  the  common  council  of  New  York  city,  and  to  his  unflinching  loyalty 
to  his  trust,  as  well  as  to  his  king,  is  due  the  preservation  of  the  city  records 
of  New  York;  for  of  his  own  motion  and  on  his  own  responsibility,  in  1775, 
he  placed  them  in  chests  in  a  vault  built  at  his  own  expense,  in  his  own 


688  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

garden,  "made,"  as  he  informed  the  provincial  congress,  "for  that  purpose 
of  stone  and  brick,  well  arched  and  exceedingly  dry,"  and  kept  them  until 
after  the  peace  of  1783.         

FREDERICK  E.  WEEKS. 

This  is  an  age  in  which  the  young  man  is  prominent,  and  the  young  man 
is  always  prominent  during  and  after  war;  and  all  things  have  combined  to 
give  him  precedence  in  America  in  these  last  years  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Young  men  who,  hke  Frederick  E.  Weeks,  of  Tarrytown,  were  coming  to  the 
front  professionally  and  otherwise  before  the  war  began  and  gave  their  coun- 
try faithful  service  during  its  progress,  returned  to  receive  such  substantial 
reward  as  a  patriotic  people  like  to  accord  to  them  who  risk  their  lives  in 
their  defense. 

Frederick  E.  Weeks  was  born  at  Sleepy  Hollow,  Mount  Pleasant  town- 
ship, Westchester  county,  New  York,  October  4,  1870,  a  son  of  Abel  and 
Elmira  F.  (Miller)  Weeks.  His  father,  a  well-known  florist  of  Tarrytown,  is 
a  man  who  commands  the  highest  respect.  His  mother  died  in  1881. 
Abraham  Weeks,  father  of  Abel  and  grandfather  of  Frederick  E.  Weeks, 
was  in  his  day  prominent  in  this  part  of  the  state;  and  the  same  may 
be  said  of  our  subject's  maternal  grandfather,  Ira  C.  Miller.  Both  families 
are  old  in  America,  and  representatives  in  the  lines  reaching  down  to  Fred- 
erick E.  Weeks  have  lived  in  Bedford  and  Mount  Pleasant  townships  during 
many  successive  generations.  Those  by  the  name  of  Weeks  in  Westchester 
county  are  descended  from  old  Holland  stock,  while  those  by  the  name  of 
Miller  in  this  line  are  from  an  ancient  English  family.  Abel  and  Elmira  F. 
(Miller)  Weeks  had  four  children,  named  Frederick  E.,  Mary  E. ,  Charles  J. 
and  Hester  A. 

Frederick  E.  Weeks  acquired  his  primary  education  at  Poccacio  Hill 
and  Sleepy  Hollow  and  in  the  public  schools  at  New  Brighton  and  Stapleton, 
Staten  island.  He  was  graduated  at  the  North  Tarrytown  public  school  in 
1 888.  Later  he  read  law  under  the  preceptorship  of  E.  T.  Lovett,  and 
afterward  under  that  of  W.  H.  H.  Ely,  at  Tarrytown.  He  took  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Laws  from  the  New  York  University  Law  School  in  May, 
1895,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  the  same  year,  and  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Tarrytown.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Westchester  County 
Bar  Association.  In  1896  he  was  appointed  assistant  district  attorney  of 
Westchester  county  by  District  Attorney  George  C.  Andrews.  He  has  filled 
that  responsible  position  with  great  ability  since,  except  while  absent  in  the 
United  States  army  in  active  service  in  the  Cuban  war.  He  enlisted  in 
Company  C,  Seventy-first  Regiment  National  Guard  of  New  York,  October 
9,  1897,  and  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service   as  a  corporal  in 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  689 

Company  C,  Seventy-first  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
served  through  the  Cuban  campaign  with  the  Fifth  Army  Corps  and  was, 
mustered  out  of  the  service  November  15,  1898. 

He  participated  in  engagements  at  La  Guisamis  and  San  Juan,  and  m 
all  the  arduous  service  around  Santiago.  December  8,  1888,  he  was  appointed* 
by  Governor  Black,  assistant  adjutant-general  on  the  governor's  staff  of  the. 
state  of  New  York,  with  the  rank  as  lieutenant-colonel.  He  resigned  the 
office  of  assistant  district  attorney  April  29,  1898,  to  go  to  war,  and  was, 
re-appointed  to  the  same  office  by  District  Attorney  Andrews,  January  i,. 
1899. 

Mr.  Weeks  is  a  member  of  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  Santiago  de  Cuba 
and  of  the  Old  Guard  of  New  York  City,  and  fraternally,  of  Solomon's  Lodge, 
No.  196,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  of  Tarry  town,  and  of  Irving  Chapter, 
No.  268,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  Tarrytown;  also  he  is  connected  with  the 
Westchester  Lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  of  Tarry- 
town,  and  he  is  foreman  of  the  Conqueror  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  of 
Tarrytown. 

Charles  J.  Weeks,  second  son  of  Abel  and  Elmira  (Miller)  Weeks,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one  did  gallant  service  as  a  private  in  Company  C,  Seventy- 
first  Regiment  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  received  a  gunshot  wound 
before  Santiago,  July  i,  1898,  while  taking  part  in  a  charge  by  which  a  part 
of  a  battery  was  saved  to  the  American  cause.  He  recovered  from  his  injur- 
ies and  is  living  at  Tarrytown. 

Politically,  Mr.  Weeks  is  a  Republican,  as  was  his  father  before  him. 


GEORGE    FISCHER. 


One  of  Yonkers'  most  prominent  German  residents  is  George  Fischer, 
who  was  born  at  Marienthal  on  the  Rhine,  Germany,  January  9,  1854,  and 
came  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States  when  he  was  twelve  years  old. 
His  grandfather.  Christian  Fischer,  was  a  keeper  of  vineyards  and  a  maker 
of  some  of  those  pure  wines  which  sustained  the  fame  of  his  country  in  the 
wine  markets  of  the  world  in  his  time.  He  had  seven  children,  two  of  whom 
came  with  George  Fischer's  father  and  his  wife  and  children  to  the  New 
World. 

Christian  Fischer,  Jr.,  father  of  George  Fischer,  located  in  Yonkers 
soon  after  his  arrival  in  New  York  (1864),  and  lived  there  the  remainder  of 
his  life,  which  terminated  in  1897,  after  he  had  celebrated  his  seventy- 
seventh  birthday.  He  was  an  active  and  useful  citizen  and  was  frequently 
elected  to  public  office,  and  served  with  success  and  greatly  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  his  townsmen  as  commissioner  of  highways  in  his  native  country.     By 


44 


690  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

trade  he  was  an  engineer.  In  his  youth  he  had  served  in  the  German  army, 
and  thus  he  acquired  a  liking  for  military  affairs,  which  influenced  him  to 
become  a  member  of  the  local  militia,  of  which  for  many  years  he  was  a 
member.  He  was  a  member  of  Yonkers  Teutonic  Turnverein,  the  Brother- 
hood of  Engineers  and  of  other  popular  organizations,  and  sustained  a  life- 
long relation  with  the  Catholic  church.  He  had  nine  children:  George  and 
William,  deceased;  George,  whose  name  appears  above  and  who  will  receive 
further  mention  below;  William;  Anna,  who  married  William  Katt,  of  Yonk- 
■ers;  Lena,  who  married  Augustus  Nitch;  Lizzie,  who  married  George  Zipp; 
and  Frederick. 

George  Fischer  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Yonkers.  At  the 
Bge  of  fifteen  he  left  school  to  learn  the  butcher's  trade,  in  which  he  was 
employed  for  some  years.  Later  he  studied  engineering,  but  finally  he 
turned  his  attention  to  hotel-keeping.  His  connection  for  several  years  with 
the  City  Hall  hotel,  of  Yonkers,  is  well  known.  For  several  seasons  he 
'managed  the  Alpine  and  Excelsior  excursion  grounds,  and  later  the  Sawmill 
^iver  Park.  Since  then  he  has  conducted  the  Nepera  Park  hotel  and  carried 
on  an  extensive  bottling  business. 

Politically,  Mr.  Fischer  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  is  an  active,  practical 
worker  in  public  affairs,  who  wields  a  recognized  influence  in  his  ward  and 
throughout  the  city  generally.  He  has  been  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  county 
and  assembly  conventions  and  is  an  active  member  of  his  ward  committee. 
He  was  a  candidate  for  alderman  in  1897  to  represent  the  seventh  ward,  but 
the  tide  of  election  went  against  him  and  could  not  have  been  stemmed 
under  governing  circumstances.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Yonkers  fire 
department  for  twenty-three  years,  and  was  several  times  foreman  of  Moun- 
taineer Engine  Company,  now  Nepera  Hose  Company,  No.  11.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  committee  of  one  hundred  citizens  which  visited  Rochester  in 
1899.  He  is  a  Red  Man  (Algonquin  Tribe,  No.  288),  a  member  of  Alsatia 
Lodge,  and  is  identified  with  other  popular  organizations. 

December  25,  1874,  he  married  Maggie  Harding,  who  has  borne  him 
children  as  follows:  Christian  T. ,  Fred  (deceased),  William  (deceased), 
Elizabeth,  Mary  M.,  Frederick,  Bertha  and  Julia. 


DAVID  FARRINGTON. 


David  Farrington  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  December  25, 
1834,  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city,  but  left 
his  studies  ere  he  had  completed  the  full  term  in  order  to  begin  an  apprentice- 
ship in  the  engraving  business.  He  was  employed  in  this  manner  for  six 
years,  and  five  years  longer  as  a  journeyman,  learning  every  detail  of  the  art. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  691 

Subsequently  he  was  connected  with  the  jewelry  house  of  Ball,  Black  & 
Company  as  an  engraver,  for  ten  years.  His  ability  and  genuine  talent 
becoming  recognized,  he  was  offered  a  good  position  with  the  American 
Bank  Note  Company,  and  has  continued  with  this  one  firm  for  the  long  period 
of  thirty  years.  In  1871  he  purchased  the  property  at  No.  326  South  Fourth 
avenue,  Mount  Vernon,  where  his  home  has  been  ever  since,  and  he  was  one 
of  the  first  to  locate  in  this  section  of  the  city.  With  his  business  associates 
and  fellow  citizens  he  is  deservedly  popular,  and  every  one  has  a  good  word 
for  him.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  Hiawathia  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  to 
Mount  Vernon  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.  Politically,  he  cast  his  first  vote  for  John 
C.  Fremont,  and  has  always  been  a  loyal  Republican. 

For  twenty  years  Mr.  Farrington  served  as  a  member  of  the  Clinton 
Hook  &  Ladder  Company,  and  he  is  still  an  honorary  member  of  that  asso- 
ciation; is  a  charter  member  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Exempt  Fire- 
men's Association,  and  is  now  serving  as  one  of  the  fire  commissoners  of  the 
place,  having  been  appointed  to  the  office  by  Mayor  Edson  Lewis,  in  1895, 
for  a  term  of  three  years;  and  he  was  also  treasurer  of  the  board  at  the 
expiration  of  his  first  term.  May  15,  1898,  he  was  re-appointed,  for  another 
term  of  three  years,  by  Mayor  Edwin  W.  Fiske,  and  received  the  unanimous 
approval  of  the  Democratic  adminstration,  and  is  now  president  of  the  board. 
When  the  project  of  the  Mount  Vernon  water-works  was  started  he  was  one 
of  the  active  workers  and  stockholders  in  the  company  at  its  formation,  and 
he  is  now  a  member  and  a  trustee  of  the  Home  Building  &  Loan  Association 
of  Mount  Vernon. 

May  15,  1 86 1,  Mr.  Farrington  married  Miss  Anna  Luyster,  a  daughter 
of  Albert  Luyster,  an  old  citizen  of  the  metropolis.  For  sixty  years  Mr. 
Luyster  kept  a  butcher's  stall  in  Washington  market,  New  York.  Four  chil- 
dren blessed  this  marriage,  namely:  Amy  A.,  Elbert  L. ,  Ada  A.  and  Elmer. 
Mr.  Farrington  was  married  a  second  time,  wedding  Miss  Annie  Makeon,  of 
New  York,  and  by  this  marriage  there  is  one  child,  named  Clinton. 

The  Farringtons  hved  in  this  locality  long  before  this  town  was  dreamed 
of,  and  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  owned  a  large  farm  in  the 
township  of  Eastchester,  now  within  the  borough  of  Mount  Vernon.  His 
family  comprised  the  following  children:  John,  Thomas,  Washington,  David 
and  Hettie.  David,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  article,  was  born  in 
1796,  in  the  old  family  residence  which  stood  until  a  few  years  ago  at 
the  corner  of  Lincoln  and  North  Fourth  avenues,  in  this  town.  David 
Farrington  spent  nearly  all  his  life  in  New  York  city,  and  at  one  time  held  a 
position  as  superintendent  of  street-cleaning  there.  He  was  a  volunteer  in 
the  war  of  18 12,  and  in  his  political  views  he  was  a  Democrat.  His  death 
took  place  in  Brooklyn,  where  he  had   lived  for  a  few  years,  his  age  being 


692  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

ninety-three.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  union  being  with  CaroHne 
Reynolds,  the  mother  of  our  subject.  Of  their  six  children — Anne  Maria, 
Eliza,  Francis,  David,  Amanda  and  Emma,  only  two  survive, — David,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  and  Emma. 


REV.  CHARLES  ELMER  ALLISON,   D.   D. 

There  is  scarcely  a  man  or  boy  in  Yonkers  who  is  not  more  or  less 
acquainted  with  the  genial  personality  of  Dr.  Allison.  To  the  majority  he  is 
known  as  one  of  the  most  fluent  and  humorous  after-dinner  speakers  in  the 
city,  whilst  to  the  more  serious-minded  he  is  esteemed  as  the  zealous  evan- 
gelical pastor  or  as  the  grave  and  learned  historian.  He  is  equally  respected 
by  all  classes,  and  no  one  could  pose  more  successfully  as  "  the  man  of  many 
friends." 

The  history  of  the  Allison  family  in  Europe  and  the  United  States  by 
the  Hon.  Leonard  Allison  Morrison,  D.  D.,  contains  biographies  of  the 
Orange  county  Allisons,  and  records  that  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a 
descendant  in  the  sixth  generation  of  Joseph  Allison,  probably  a  Scotchman 
or  of  Scotch  descent,  who  resided  at  Southold,  Long  Island,  in  1721,  and 
migrated  to  Goshen,  Orange  county,  about  1725  or  1726,  having  purchased 
lands  designated  as  the  Allison  tract  in  the  Wanayanda  patent.  On  his 
maternal  side  the  Rev.  Dr.  Allison  is  in  the  eighth  generation  from  Edward 
Elmer,  a  Puritan  who  emigrated  from  England  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  in 
1632,  twelve  years  after  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  and  who  emi- 
grated, in  1635  or  1636,  with  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker  and  his  congregation, 
to  Hartford,  Connecticut,  as  original  proprietors  of  that  city.  One  of  Dr. 
Allison's  ancestors  was  General  William  Allison,  an  officer  of  the  American 
Revolution,  who,  as  a  colonel,  commanded  the  Orange  county  troops  at  the 
battle  of  Fort  Montgomery.  One  of  the  officers  in  command  of  the  king's- 
forces  at  that  battle  was  the  son-in-law  of  the  Hon.  Frederick  Philipse,  who, 
in  the  eighteenth  century,  was  proprietor  of  the  Manor  of  Philipseburgh  and 
lived  in  the  Manor  Hall  of  Yonkers.  General  Allison  was  a  member  of  the 
provincial  convention  of  New  York  from  1775  to  1777,  and  state  senator  for 
the  terms  1783-6. 

The  following  from  a  recent  issue  of  Church  Tidings,  edited  and  pub- 
lished in  Connecticut  by  the  Rev.  Arthur  Requa: 

' '  Mr.  Allison  was  the  second  son  of  Isaac  W.  and  Teresa  A.  Allison, 
and  was  born  at  Slate  Hill,  Orange  county,  New  York.  His  college  prepar- 
atory school  was  Chester  Academy,  and  he  was  graduated  from  Hamilton 
College  in  the  class  of  '70.  He  was  one  of  the  six  Clark  prize  orators  of  that 
class.      He  was  graduated  from  Union  Theological  Seminary  in   1874.      Mr. 


Charles  E.  Allison. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  693 

Allison  was  licensed  by  the  presbytery  of  Hudson,  and  ordained  by  West- 
chester presbytery,  April  30,  1879,^ — the  day  when  Dayspring  was  first 
enrolled  as  a  church. 

"  Mr.  Allison  came  to  this  enterprise  from  his  seminary  in  1873,  at  first 
coming  up  on  Saturday  and  returning  each  Monday.  When  organized,  Day- 
spring  had  ninety-four  members;  in  1897  the  enrollment  was  four  hundred 
and  thirty-six.  The  Dayspring  Sabbath-school  has  likewise  grown  from  sixty 
to  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  members.  Nearly  twenty-six  years  of  such 
active  service  is  an  unusual  record  in  these  days.  As  senior  pastor  of  the 
city,  he  recently  succeeded  Dr.  Cole  as  president  of  the  Yonkers  Clerical 
Association. 

"Mr.  Allison  published,  in  1889,  'Historical  Sketch  of  Hamilton  Col- 
lege,' and  in  1896  was  published  his  memorable  '  History  of  Yonkers. ' 

' '  Mr.  Allison  is  the  genial  story-teller,  ready  wit  and  popular  after-dinner 
speaker  of  the  city  of  Yonkers.  What  fraternity,  banquet  or  society  supper 
is  complete  without  him.' 

'■  He  is  an  indefatigable  worker,  a  sympathizing  pastor,  a  lover  of  chil- 
dren, a  strong,  impressive  preacher  and  an  all-around  friend.  His  parish 
includes  the  people  of  every  church,  and  he  is  equally  the  friend  of  the  wealthy 
and  poor.  He  is  a  stanch  friend  of  temperance.  He  was  moderator  of  the 
presbytery  in  1886.  The  new  Dayspring  church  is  a  fitting  monument  to  his 
personal  impress  upon  the  city  of  Yonkers. " 


THOMAS  J.   CALLAN. 

The  marked  business  and  executive  ability  of  Thomas  Joseph  Callan 
enables  him  to  fill  a  responsible  and  important  position  in  the  commercial 
circles  of  Yonkers,  and  his  bravery  and  loyalty  enabled  him  to  win  fame  in 
the  military  history  of  our  country;  but,  whether  on  the  field  of  battle,  in  his 
place  of  business  or  in  the  walks  of  public  and  private  life,  he  is  ever  true  to 
duty  and  by  his  straightforward  course  has  commanded  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  his  fellow  men. 

Mr.  Callan  was  born  in  county  Louth,  Ireland,  July  13,  1853,  and  is  a 
son  of  Peter  and  Ann  (Hackett)  Callan.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Thomas 
Callan,  was  a  farmer  and  weaver,  and  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
eight  years.  His  maternal  grandfather,  Peter  Hackett,  was  a  government 
official  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  serving  in  the  public-land  depart- 
ment, at  Stevenson,  Ireland.  Several  of  his  sons  were  in  the  military  serv- 
ice of  their  country,  and  another.  Rev.  Dean  Richard  Hackett,  was  professor 
of  sciences,  metaphysics  and  Gregorian  chants  in  Maynooth  College,  Dublin, 


694  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Ireland.  Peter  Callan,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  also  a  native  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  acquired  a  college  education  and  prepared  for  the  priesthood. 
Abandoning  the  idea  of  entering  the  church,  however,  he  married  Ann 
Hackett  and  came  to  the  United  States,  landing  in  New  York  city  in  1854. 
Previous  to  his  emigration  he  had  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  but  after  his 
arrival  in  America  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  coasting  trade,  operating  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  York  city  and  making  his  home  at  Greenpoint,  Long 
Island.  Two  years  later  he  brought  his  family  to  this  country.  Subse- 
quently he  resided  in  Newark,  New  Jersey,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
leather  business.  He  died  in  the  Orange  valley,  in  Essex  county.  New  Jer- 
sey, at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six.  Their  children  are  as  follows:  Patrick,  who  served  as  alder- 
man in  Newark  and  as  deputy  state  labor  inspector  of  New  Jersey,  is  a 
veteran  of  the  civil  war  and  belongs  to  Garfield  Post,  No.  4,  G.  A,  R.,  at 
Newark.  Rev.  William  M.  R.,  who  died  in  February,  1898,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-eight  years,  was  a  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  had  charge 
of  the  church  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Valley,  in  the  Orange  valley,  for  twenty- 
five  years.  His  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Holy  Sep- 
ulchre, and  there  on  Sunday,  September  25,  1898,  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies, a  handsome  monument,  erected  to  his  memory,  was  unveiled  by  his 
parishioners,  September  25,  1898.  Mary,  the  next  of  the  family,  is  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Degman,  a  citizen  of  Newark,  New  Jersey.  Ann  Callan,  the 
next  child,  died  on  the  day  she  proposed  entering  a  convent.  Jane  was  a 
sister  of  charity,  having  entered  a  convent  when  fourteen  years  of  age  and 
being  there  known  as  Sister  Mary  Joachim.  She  died  in  St.  Mary's  convent 
in  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years.  Thomas  Joseph 
is  the  next  of  the  family;  and  the  youngest  was  Richard,  who  died  in  infancy. 
During  his  infancy  Thomas  J.  Callan  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  the 
New  World,  and  acquired  his  education  in  St.  Patrick's  Brothers'  school  at 
Newark,  New  Jersey.  At  an  early  age  he  left  his  parents'  home  and  started 
out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  first  learned  and  followed  the 
undertaking  business  and  subsequently  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade,  but  in 
1876  he  put  aside  the  pursuits  of  civil  life  and  entered  the  military  service  of 
his  country,  enlisting  at  Boston,  Massachusetts,  as  a  member  of  the  Seventh 
United  States  Cavalry.  With  other  members  of  that  command  he  was  trans- 
ported to  Shreveport,  Louisiana,  and  placed  under  Major  Bell  for  training 
and  discipline.  As  soon  as  they  were  ready  for  service  they  were  transferred 
to  the  command  of  Captain  McDougal  and  sent  to  Fort  Lincoln,  Dakota,  to 
quell  the  Indian  uprising  and  hostilities  in  Montana,  on  the  Big  Horn  river. 
They  arrived  at  Fort  Lincoln  on  the  loth  of  May,  and  after  being  delayed 
for  a  few  days  by  the  severe  weather  they  broke  camp,  at  five  o'clock  on  the 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  695 

morning  of  May  17th,  there  being  about  six  hundred  men  and  pfficers  in  the 
command.  General  Custer  and  several  of  the  officers  were  accompanied  by 
their  wives  as  far  as  Big  Heart  river,  where  they  first  went  into  camp,  and 
there  many  a  farewell  was  exchanged  which  proved  to  be  a  final  one,  for  the 
husbands  marched  forward  to  one  of  the  most  fearful  engagements  that  have 
ever  occurred  in  the  history  of  our  Indian  warfare,  and  the  death  rate  was 
most  terrible.  They  continued  on  their  way,  with  various  exciting  and  thrill- 
ing experiences  and  all  the  attendant  hardships  incident  to  one  of  the  most 
perilous  and  difficult  marches  recorded  in  the  annals  of  the  west.  On  the 
1 6th  of  June  they  arrived  at  Powder  river,  where  they  went  into  camp  and 
soon  afterward  entered  upon  the  celebrated  campaign  of  the  Little  Big  Horn. 
Mr.  Callan  passed  through  the  entire  campaign,  under  command  first  of  Gen- 
eral Custer  and  then  of  Colonel  Reno  and  Captain  McDougal.  The  march- 
ing column  was  under  command  of  Brigadier-General  A.  H.  Terry  and  was 
composed  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  in  charge  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  George  C. 
Custer,  a  battalion  of  infantry,  the  Seventh  Infantry,  one  company  of  the 
Sixth  Infantry,  a  battery  of  Catling  guns,  forty-five  scouts,  guides  and  inter- 
preters. The  total  was  fifty  officers,  nine  hundred  and  sixty- eight  enlisted 
men,  one  hundred  and  ninety  civilian  employes,  and  one  thousand,  six  hun- 
dred and  ninety-four  horses  and  mules. 

Reaching  Powder  river  on  the  7th  of  June,  Major  Reno,  of  the  Seventh 
Cavalry,  was  dispatched  with  six  companies,  on  scouting  duty.  They  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Powder  river,  thence  to  the  Rosebud  and  back  to  the  mouth 
of  Tongue  river.  General  Terry  went  by  boat  up  the  Yellowstone  river  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Tongue,  and  there  met  General  Custer,  after  which  they 
were  joined  by  seven  companies  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  and  also  a  detach- 
ment of  the  Second  Cavalry  and  Fifth  Infantry  under  Major  Gibbons. 
Major  Reno  having  found  a  scouting  party  of  Indians,  reported  to  Brigadier- 
General  Terry  that  he  had  met  the  Indians  and  that  they  outnumbered  the 
white  men  fifteen  to  one.  He  decided  that  it  was  unwise  to  attack  the 
enemy  under  such  disadvantages  and  reported  to  General  Terry  asking  for 
reinforcements.  The  scouting  party,  of  which  Mr.  Callan  was  a  member, 
made  a  forced  march  of  two  days  and  two  nights  on  their  return  trip,  and 
reported.  On  the  22d  of  June  General  Terry  ordered  General  Custer  to  take 
command  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  and  provided  him  with  a  number  of  mules 
and  some  Catling  guns,  but  the  latter  General  Custer  declined  to  take  with 
him.  He  then  proceeded  with  his  command  and  pack  train  up  the  Rosebud 
river  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Little  Big  Horn  river.  General  Terry  had 
ordered  Major  Gibbons  to  take  four  troops  of  cavalry  and  pack  mules  and 
proceed  up  the  west  bank  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  cross  the  stream  at  the 
fording  above  the   mouth   of  the   Big    Horn  river.      General  Terry  himself 


696  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

remained  in  .command  of  all  the  infantry  and  proceeded  by  boat  up  the 
Yellowstone  and  Big  Horn  rivers  as  far  as  the  latter  was  navigable,  and  met 
the  other  detachments  at  the  valley  of  the  Little  Big  Horn  river.  It  was 
upon  reaching  this  point  that  he  learned  of  the  sad  fate  of  General  Custer 
and  his  men.  The  General,  having  made  forced  marches,  met  the  enemy 
two  days  ahead  of  the  designated  time  and  in  the  attack  his  command  was 
entirely  annihilated  and  the  brave  commander  also  lost  his  life. 

Mr.  Callan  was  with  the  forces  under  Major  Reno,  on  June  25  and  26, 
and,  with  his  company,  was  for  two  days  and  two  nights  under  the  enemy's 
fire.  The  command  was  ordered  to  fall  back  to  the  hills,  where,  on  the  first  day, 
and  two  hours  after  its  opening  of  the  engagement  by  Major  Reno's  command, 
they  were  met  by  Major  Bentien  and  his  battalion.  They  then  decided  to 
go  to  the  rescue  of  General  Custer,  and  they  held  their  position  until  the 
arrival  of  Generals  Terry  and  Gibbons,  on  the  27th,  when  they  learned  of 
General  Custer's  defeat.  Mr.  Callan  was  presented  with  a  medal  of  honor 
by  congress  for  voluntarily  aiding  his  wounded  comrades  and  supplying  them 
with  water,  which  he  secured  at  great  peril  to  himself. 

While  Mr.  Callan  and  four  of  his  comrades  went  to  secure  water,  some 
of  their  party  were  wounded  by  the  rifle  balls  of  the  enemy.  Mr.  Callan  and 
his  comrades,  however,  located  where  the  Indians  had  concealed  themselves, 
and  after  Mr.  Callan  and  his  comrades  had  returned  to  the  skirmish  line  of 
the  troops,  and  had  given  the  hospital  steward  their  canteens,  which  they 
had  filled  with  water,  Mr.  Callan  and  bis  comrades  again  took  their  places  in 
the  line  of  battle.  Their  journey,  which  they  had  made  to  secure  the  water, 
was  fraught  with  peril,  they  having  made  the  distance  of  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  outside  of  their  own  skirmish  line,  and  through  the  lines  of  the 
enemy.  Mr.  Callan  and  his  comrades  had  carefully  located  the  Indians,  who 
had  concealed  themselves  in  the  foliage  of  a  tree,  from  which  point  they  had 
a  clear  control  over  the  only  route  by  which  the  troops  could  secure  any 
water;  and  when  the  command  was  given  to  charge  upon  the  enemy,  to  drive 
them  back  from  approaching  too  close  to  the  wounded  troops,  and  after  their 
return  from  the  charge,  Mr.  Callan  and  his  comrades  turned  their  attention 
to  the  tree  where  the  Indians  had  concealed  themselves,  and  soon  one  by 
one  the  redskins  were  seen  to  drop  lifeless  from  his  perch  in  the  tree,  and 
thus  the  way  to  the  river  to  secure  water  for  the  troops  was  made  clear;  and 
it  may  also'be  added  that  Mr.  Callan  contributed  no  small  part  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  fearful  task. 

The  medal  which  he  received  in  recognition  of  his  bravery  and  kindness 
to  his  comrades  consists  of  a  bronze  star  suspended  from  a  bronze  bar.  On 
the  reverse  side  is  inscribed  the  following:: 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  697 

The  Congress 

to 

Private  Thomas  J.  Callan, 

Troop  B,  7th  Cavalry, 

For  Gallantry  at 

Little  Big  Horn,  Montana, 

June  25-26, 

1876. 

The  following  letter  accompanied  the  medal: 

War  Department, 

Adjutant  General's  Office, 
Washington  D.  C,  Nov.  3,  1896. 
Mr.  Thomas  J.  Callan,  Yonkers,  N.  Y.: 

Sir: — By  direction  of  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  War,  I  enclose  herewith  a  medal  of  honor 
awarded  to  you  for  gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Little  Big  Horn,  Montana,  June  25-26,  1876,  while 
serving  as  a  private  of  Troop  B,  Seventh  United  States  Cavalry.  The  records  show  that  you 
volunteered  and  succeeded  in  obtaining  water  for  the  wounded  of  the  command,  and  was  con- 
spicuous for  good  conduct  in  assisting  to  drive  the  Indians  from  the  trees  in  the  bottom  while 
the  men  attempted  to  get  water. 

Very  respectfully, 

J.  S.  Babcock, 

Ass't  Adjt.  General. 

The  medal  he  received  was  one  of  two  thousand  which  had  been  granted 
by  the  war  department  up  to  1896.  Mr.  Callan  is  now  an  honorary  member 
of  John  C.  Fremont  Post,  No.  590,  G.  A.  R. ,  at  Yonkers,  which  he  fre- 
quently entertains  with  stories  and  reminiscences  of  his  five  years'  service  in 
the  Seventh  Cavalry  and  the  Custer  massacre  or  battle  of  the  Big  Horn. 

After  serving  seven  years  in  the  United  States  Army  Mr.  Callan  returned 
to  the  east  in  1880,  and,  after  one  year  spent  in  the  leather  business,  re- 
moved to  Yonkers,  in  1881,  to  accept  the  position  of  manager  for  the  Great 
Atlantic  &  Pacific  Tea  Company,  which  responsible  position  he  has  since 
filled,  being  to-day  in  control  of  the  largest  business  of  the  kind  in  West- 
chester county.  In  business  affairs  he  shows  great  discretion,  and  displays 
great  energy  and  enterprise,  and  his  well  directed  efforts  have  brought  him 
gratifying  success. 

Mr.  Callan  has  been  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  Mary  T.  Matthews, 
of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  June  18,  1882,  but  she  died  a  year  and  a  half  later, 
leaving  him  with  an  infant  son,  William,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 
His  present  wife  was  formerly  Miss  Mary  J.  Nolan,  of  Orange  Valley,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Colloton)  Nolan.  Their  marriage  was  con- 
summated January  11,  1886,  and  they  have  one  child,  Mary  Joachim. 
Socially  Mr.  Callan  is  connected  with  the  Montgomery  Club,  the  Order  of 
Red  Men,  Shalamuck  Tribe,  No.  355,  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians. 
He   also  belongs  to   St.  Peter's   Roman  Catholic  church  and  the  Catholic 


698  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Benevolent  Legion,  and  Yonkers  Council,  No.  300.  He  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of 
the  day  and  actively  identified  with  political  and  other  public  interests  of 
importance.  As  a  business  man  he  bears  an  unassailable  reputation  and  at 
all  times  and  in  all  relations  of  life  he  is  as  true  to  his  duty  as  when  he  fought 
for  the  interests  of  the  nation   against  the  red  men  upon  the  western  plains. 


HON.   CHAUNCEY  M.   DEPEW. 

Mr.  Depew,  distinguished  as  a  lawyer  and  statesman,  was  born  at  Peek- 
skill,  April  23,  1834.  His  ancestry  was  of  Huguenot  families,  from  which 
have  sprung  so  many  noble  men  to  make  immortal  names  in  history.  His 
family  were  early  settled  at  Peekskill,  where  his  father,  Isaac  Depew,  resided 
on  the  farm  which  had  been  the  home  of  his  ancestors  for  two  hundred 
years.  His  early  years  were  spent  on  the  old  homestead,  and  his  education 
was  finished  at  Yale  College,  where  he  graduated  in  1856.  Resolved  to  enter 
the  legal  profession,  he  studied  law  under  Hon.  William  Nelson,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1858,  and  commenced  practice  in  his  native  town. 

His  natural  ability,  sound  knowledge  of  the  law  and  great  oratorical 
talent  caused  his  rapid  advancement.  In  his  youth  he  took  part  in  politics, 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  state  convention  in  1858,  and  a  distinguished 
and  effective  speaker  in  the  campaign  of  i860.  In  every  presidential  contest 
from  that  time  to  the  present,  his  speeches  have  been  listened  to  b}'  thou- 
sands of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  his  opinions  have  never  failed  to  attract 
attention  and  command  respect.  At  the  beginning  of  the  war  he  was  adju- 
tant of  the  Eighteenth  Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers,  and  served  three 
months.  In  1861  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  assembly,  and  re-elected 
in  1862.  His  legislative  career,  which  was  marked  with  great  ability,  pre- 
pared the  way  for  a  still  higher  position,  and  in  1863  he  was  elected  secre- 
tary of  state.  He  received,  but  declined,  the  appointment  of  commissioner 
of  immigration,  but  served  for  one  year  as  tax  commissioner  for  the  city  of 
New  York.  In  1866  he  received  from  President  Johnson  the  appointment  of 
minister  to  Japan, — a  position  which  he  resigned  after  holding  the  commis- 
sion for  one  month.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  new 
Capitol  at  Albany  in  1871.  The  Liberal  Republican  party  gave  Mr.  Depew 
the  nomination  for  governor  in  1872;  but  he,  together  with  the  rest  of  the 
ticket,  failed  of  ejection.  During  the  controversy  which  led  to  the  resigna- 
tion of  Hon.  Roscoe  Conkling  as  United  States  senator,  Mr.  Depew  was  one 
of  the  most  prominent  among  the  candidates  proposed  as  his  successor,  but 
withdrew  his  name  in  the  interests  of  harmony.  He  was  appointed  one  of 
the  regents  of  the  University  in  1877,  a  position  which  he  still  retains.     For 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  699 

several  years  he  was  vice-president  and  general  counsel  for  the  New  York 
Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad  company,  and  afterward  was  president  of 
the  same, — a  position  which  furnished  ample  scope  for  his  abilities. 

Among  the  prominent  orators  of  the  day,  there  are  few  who  have  been 
more  frequently  called  upon  to  deliver  addresses  upon  occasions  of  public 
importance.  A  speech  delivered  in  the  legislature,  in  1862,  upon  the  subject 
of  state  finances,  has  been  considered  one  of  his  best  efforts,  and  attracted  wide 
attention.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1876,  he  delivered  the  centennial  oration  at 
Sing  Sing,  and  made  a  brilliant  address  at  Kingston  on  July  30,  1877,  the 
anniversary  of  the  formation  of  the  state  government.  On  September  23, 
1880,  he  addressed  a  large  assembly  at  Tarrytown,  in  commemoration  of  the 
capture  of  Major  Andre,  and  he  was  the  orator  of  the  day  upon  the  occasion 
of  unveiling  the  statue  of  Alexander  Hamilton  in  Central  Park.  At  the 
election  of  a  United  States  senator,  in  1885,  he  was  tendered  the  nomination 
by  all  divisions  of  the  Republican  party,  but  declined  to  be  considered  a  can- 
didate, and  the  choice  fell  upon  Hon.  William  M.  Evarts. 

In  1899  Mr.  Depew  was  elected  a  United  States  senator,  and  this  choice 
of  the  New  York  legislature  elicited  words  of  hearty  commendation  from  the 
entire  press  of  the  state,  with  very  few  exceptions,  irrespective  of  party  lines. 

In  1 87 1  he  married  Miss  Elise,  daughter  of  William  Hageman,  Esq., 
of  New  York,  and  has  one  son,  who  bears  his  father's  name. 


JACOB  H.  DALTON. 

Located  four  miles  and  a  half  distant  from  the  town  of  Peekskill,  New 
York,  is  found  the  delightful  country  home  of  Mr.  Jacob  H.  Dalton.  His- 
farm  comprises  seventy  acres  of  fine  land,  well  cultivated,  and  his  commo- 
dious and  attractive  residence,  beautifully  located  on  an  elevation  and  sur- 
rounded by  shade  and  ornamental  trees,  commands  a  magnificent  view  of  the 
surrounding  country.  The  owner  of  this  place  is  one  of  the  prominent  citi- 
zens of  his  locality. 

He  was  born  in  Yorktown,  Westchester  county,  New  York,  January  15, 
1862,  the  son  of  Samuel  Dalton  and  grandson  of  James  Dalton.  The  Dal- 
tons  trace  their  origin  to  the  Scotch-Irish.  Samuel  Dalton  married  Miss 
Ella  Field  McCord,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  R.  and  Phebe  (Field)  McCord,  and 
she  died  when  her  only  child,  Jacob  H.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a 
babe  five  months  old.  The  father  was  subsequently  married  to  Miss  Cath- 
erine Richey,  daughter  of  Elihu  Richey,  of  Cortlandt  township,  Westchester 
county.  New  York.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  representative  of  the 
old  McCord  family  of  which  mention  is  made  on  other  pages  of  this  work. 
The  Field    family  mentioned  traces  lineage  back  to  English  origin,  the  line  of. 


700  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

descent  being  traced  from  John  Field,  who  was  a  resident  of  Horton  Parish, 
of  Bradford,  England,  in  the  year  1572. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  later  attended  the  Peekskill  Academy.  On  reaching  manhood  he 
engaged  in  farming  on  his  own  account,  and  as  the  result  of  his  push  and 
energy  is  meeting  with  a  fair  degree  of  success. 

He  was  united  in  marriage,  October  31,  1888,  to  Miss  Ida  Travis,  a 
native  of  New  York  city  and  a  daughter  of  David  Travis,  deceased.  David 
Travis  was  born  in  Putnam  county.  New  York,  and  was  twice  married.  For 
his  first  wife  he  married  Miss  Cornelia  Gilbert,  of  Putnam  county,  and  for  his 
second  wife  he  wedded  Miss  Jane  Oakley,  a  native  of  Peekskill,  New  York, 
and  a  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Gilbert)  Oakley.  Mrs.  Dalton  is  the 
eldest  daughter  by  the  second  marriage.  Mr.  Travis  died  in  1892  and  Mrs. 
Travis  is  a  resident  of  New  York  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dalton  have  two  chil- 
dren: Florence  May,  born  May  25,  1890,  and  Virginia  Field,  born  October 
20,  1892. 

Mrs.  Dalton  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  at  Shrub 
Oak,  New  York. 


WILLIAM  J.   HORTON. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  1898,  there  passed  away,  at  his  home  in  York- 
town  township,  Westchester  county.  New  York,  one  of  that  county's  best 
and  most  highly  respected  citizens,  William  James  Horton.  His  honesty, 
integrity,  gentleness  and  purity  were  a  constant  source  of  inspiration  to  his 
loving  family  and  friends,  and  few  men  have  left  an  example  more  to  be 
desired  than  he. 

Mr.  Horton  was  born  in  Yorktown  township,  December  10,  1828,  a  son 
of  Frost  and  Phoebe  (Tompkins)  Horton.  In  early  childhood  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Peekskill,  where  he  attended  first  the  public  schools  and 
later  the  Peekskill  academy,  and  after  attending  the  latter  institution  for 
some  time  be  entered  college  at  North  Adams,  Massachusetts.  Upon  his 
return  home  he  remained  in  Peekskill  for  a  time,  filling  a  position  in  his 
father's  office,  but  after  his  marriage  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  in 
Yorktown  township,  in  which  undertaking  he  met  with  more  than  ordinary 
success. 

On  the  8th  of  January,  1851,  Mr.  Horton  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Leah  B.  Carpenter,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Winnifred  S.  (Carpen- 
ter) Carpenter,  and  by  this  union  there  were  three  children,  namely:  Wright, 
who  married  Phoebe  Weeks;  Thomas  V.,  who  married  Elizabeth  Ireland;  and 
Georgine  H.,  now  Mrs.  Frank  A.  Weed.     (More  extended    mention  of  the 


"N^  \  C^^JvOJC:^^W^ 


i^-MV) 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  701 

Horton  family  is  given  in  the  sketch  of  Dr.  Stephen  F.  Horton,  on  another 
page  of  this  work.) 

Mr.  Horton  was  progressive  and  enterprising,  and  took  an  active  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  the  community.  Politically  he  was  a  stanch  Democrat  and 
served  his  party  in  the  office  of  commissioner  of  highways  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  also  filled  the  office  of  township  supervisor  for  several  terms.  He 
was  a  liberal  contributor  to  church  and  charitable  enterprises,  and  while 
not  an  avowed  member  of  the  Episcopal  church  he  served  for  a  number  of 
years  as  one  of  its  vestrymen.  In  his  religious  principles  he  held  to  the 
doctrines  laid  down  by  the  Quakers,  or  Society  of  Friends.  In  his  life-span 
of  seventy  years  he  accomplished  much,  and  he  left  behind  him  an  honorable 
record,  well  worthy  of  perpetuation.  He  was  a  man  of  the  highest  charac- 
ter, and  those  who  were  most  intimately  associated  with  him  speak  in  unquali- 
fied terms,  of  his  sterling  integrity,  his  honor  in  business  and  his  fidelity  to  all 
the  duties  of  public  and  private  life.  He  was  faithful  to  his  country  and  to 
his  friends,  and  in  his  home  was  an  exemplary  husband  and  father.  His 
death  occasioned  the  deepest  regret  throughout  the  community,  and  West- 
chester county  thereby  lost  one  of  its  most  valued  citizens.  Mrs.  Horton  is 
an  estimable  lady  of  many  sterling  qualities,  and  has  a  large  circle  of  friends 
in  the  community. 

GRIFFITH  JOHN. 

It  will  assuredly  prove  not  uninteresting  to  observe  in  the  series  of  bio- 
graphical sketches  appearing  in  this  volume  the  varying  nationality,  origin 
and  early  environment  of  men  who  have  made  their  way  to  positions  of 
prominence  and  success.  In  no  better  way  can  we  gain  a  conception  of  the 
diverse  elements  which  have  entered  into  our  social,  professional  and  com- 
mercial life,  and  which  to  the  future  American  type  will  impart  features 
which  cannot  be  conjectured  at  the  present  time.  We  have  had  an  American 
type  in  the  past;  we  shall  have  a  distinctly  national  character  in  the  future, 
but,  for  the  present,  amalgamation  of  the  various  elements  is  proceeding,  and- 
the  final  result  is  yet  remote.  No  unimportant  element  in  the  formation  of 
this  national  type  is  that  furnished  by  the  little  rock-ribbed  country  of  Wales, 
which  country  was  the  original  home  of  the  ancestors  of  Griffith  John.  The 
sterling  elements  of  that  race  are  shown  in  his  character,  and  their  persever- 
ance and  adaptability  find  an  exponent  in  his  successful  career. 

Although  of  Welsh  ancestry,  Griffith  John  is  a  native  of  China,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Shanghai,  on  the  nth  of  January,  1856.  His  parents 
were  Griffith  and  Margaret  (Griffiths)  John.  His  paternal  grandfather,  who 
also  bore  the  name  of  Griffith  John,  was  a  native  of  Swansea,  Wales,  and 
was  connected  with  the  manufacturing  interests  of  that  country.    His  son  and. 


702  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

namesake  was  also  born  in  Swansea,  and  is  now  a  missionary  at  Hankow, 
where  he  has  been  located  for  forty-three  years.  He  was  educated  in  Brecon 
College,  of  Wales,  and  Bedford  College,  England,  and,  having  prepared  for 
the  ministry,  determined  to  devote  his  life  to  missionary  work.  Accordingly 
he  went  at  once  to  the  orient, — sent  out  by  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
— and  now  for  forty-four  years  he  has  labored  to  spread  the  gospel  among 
the  heathen  people  of  the  great  Confucian  empire.  He  married  Margaret 
Griffiths,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  David  Griffiths,  who  was  born  in  Wales,  and 
educated  in  one  of  the  seminaries  of  that  country.  He  prepared  for  the  min- 
istry and  then  went  to  the  missionary  field  of  Madagascar,  where  he  remained 
for  many  years.  When  the  queen  of  that  land  attempted  to  massacre  all  the 
Christians  his  life  was  threatened,  for  his  concealing  and  protecting  the  con- 
verts, so  he  was  compelled  to  return  to  England,  and  one  of  his  labors  after 
reaching  that  country  was  the  translation  of  the  Bible  into  the  Madagascar 
language.  At  the  age  of  seventy  years  he  retired  to  private  life  and  died  in 
Wales.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Griffiths,  in  Wales,  and  she  accompanied  him 
on  his  missionary  tour.  Returning  then  to  Great  Britain,  her  death  occurred 
in  her  native  land,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one  years.  Among  their 
children,  five  or  six  in  number,  was  Mrs.  John,  mother  of  our  subject.  She, 
too,  aided  her  husband  in  his  noble  work  among  the  not  Christianized  people 
of  the  orient,  and  her  death  occurred  in  Singapore,  in  the  Malay  peninsula, 
in  1873.  By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  six  children,  three  of 
whom  are  living,  namely:  Dr.  David  John,  a  resident  of  Yonkers;  Mrs. 
Mary  Sparhan,  whose  husband  was  sent  out  by  the  London  Missionary  Society 
and  is  now  in  Hankow,  China;  and  Griffith,  of  this  review. 

The  last  named,  now  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Yonkers, 
New  York,  was  born  in  Shanghai  and  was  educated  in  a  boarding  school  in 
Blackheath,  England,  where  continued  his  studies  until  seventeen  years  of 
age.  In  order  to  attain  the  mastery  of  the  principles  and  practices  of  mechan- 
ical engineering  he  then  spent  six  years  in  the  Siemens  Steel  Works,  in 
Swansea,  Wales,  in  the  pattern-making  and  machine  department  and  the 
drawing  offices.  During  that  time  he  became  very  expert  in  the  work,  and 
on  leaving  that  large  industrial  establishment  he  entered  the  ship-building 
yards  of  the  Palmer  Ship  Building  Company,  of  Jarrow,  England.  There  he 
remained  seven  months  and  then  went  to  sea,  as  assistant  engineer  on  a  mer- 
chant vessel,  in  order  to  gain  practical  experience.  For  several  months  he 
was  thus  employed,  plying  between  Liverpool  and  New  Orleans,  and  subse- 
quently he  entered  the  consulting  engineer's  office,  in  London,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  perfecting  his  knowledge  of  marine  engineering,  in  which  he  had 
become  especially  interested.  There  he  remained  for  a  year,  enjoying  par- 
ticular advantages  in  the  line  of  his  chosen  profession.      By  most  thorough 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  703 

and  comprehensive  training,  botii  theoretical  and  practical,  he  was  fitted  for 
the  most  expert  mechanical  work  of  all  descriptions. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  John  came  to  the  United  States  and  accepted  a  position  as 
draftsman  with  R.  Hoe  &  Company,  printing-press  manufacturers,  of  New 
York  city.  For  six  years  he  occupied  that  responsible  position  and  then 
came  to  Yonkers,  in  1887,  to  accept  the  position  of  draftsman  wi-th  Otis 
Brothers  &  Company,  thus  serving  until  1892,  when  he  went  to  Boston  to 
become  superintendent  of  the  Whittier  Machine  Company,  with  which  he 
was  connected  until  1896,  when  he  returned  to  Yonkers.  Since  that  time 
he  has  occupied  the  responsible  position  of  superintendent  of  the  extensive 
industrial  interests  of  Otis  Brothers  &  Company, — the  most  important  place 
in  all  their  service.  He  has  under  his  control  twelve  foremen  and  between 
three  and  four  hundred  employes.  His  administration  of  the  extensive  affairs 
of  the  company  indicates  managerial  ability  of  the  highest  order.  Added  to 
this  is  a  most  comprehensive  and  expert  knowledge  of  the  working  of  ma- 
chinery and  the  natural  laws  which  govern  it.  He  is  just  toward  the  workmen, 
and  at  all  times  alert  in  conserving  the  best  interests  of  his  company  with 
which  he  is  so  closely  allied.  Tireless  energy,  keen  perception,  honesty  of 
purpose,  a  genius  for  devising  and  executing  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time, 
joined  to  every-day  common  sense,  are   his  chief  characteristics  in  business. 

With  all  his  great  practical  force  of  character,  Mr.  John  has  the  faculty 
of  placing  all  at  ease  by  the  courtesy  and  frankness  of  his  manner,  being  in 
truth  a  gentleman  and  a  universal  favorite.  Of  course  opportunity  brings 
this  side  of  his  nature  forward  more  frequently  in  social  circles  and  in  his 
home.  He  was  married  in  April,  1883,  to  Miss  Ida  E.  Paynter,  a  daughter 
of  Isaac  E.  Paynter,  of  New  York  city,  and  they  have  had  two  children,  Griffith 
Paynter  and  Bessie  Edith.  The  family  attend  the  First  Presbyterian 
church,  and  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  of  Yonkers. 


JAMES  H.    LANDER. 

Mr.  Lander  is  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  enterprising  citizens  of 
Greenburg  township,  Westchester  county,  New  York,  and  has  served  in  the 
capacity  of  commissioner  of  highways  since  1890.  He  was  born  in  the 
town  in  which  he  now  resides,  on  May  25,  1863,  being  a  son  of  Henry  S. 
and  Annie  (Williams)  Lander,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  England.  His 
father,  Henry  Lander,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Swanage,  Dorsetshire,  Eng- 
land, where  he  received  a  good  common-school  education  and  grew  to  man- 
hood, learning  the  trade  of  a  stone-cutter.  In  1855  he  emigrated  to  America, 
coming  to  New  York  state  and  purchasing  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Greenburg, 
Westchester  county.      On   this   land   he  established  a  factory  for  the  manu- 


704  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

facture  of  bone-dust  and  fertilizer,  and  also  made  a  kind  of  grease  which  he 
sold  for  lubricating  purposes.  He  soon  built  up  a  good  business  and  the 
output  of  his  factory  finds  a  ready  sale  among  the  surrounding  farmers, 
bringing  him  a  neat  income.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  Will- 
iams, who  was  born  in  London.  England,  and  came  to  America  with  her 
parents,  who  first  made  their  home  on  Long  Island,  and  later  settled  in  the 
town  of  Greenburg,  this  county,  where  she  met  and  married  Mr.   Lander. 

James  H.  Lander  received  as  good  an  education  as  could  be  obtained  in 
the  common  schools.  He  also  assisted  his  father  about  the  farm  work  and 
in  the  factory.  In  1890  he  was  elected  commissioner  of  highways,  and  so 
acceptably  were  the  duties  of  the  office  discharged  that  he  has  held  the  office 
continuously  since,  being  re-elected  in  1893  and  1896;  his  present  term  will 
expire  in  1900.  He  received  a  most  flattering  vote,  his  majorities  ranging 
from  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  to  four  hundred  and  twenty  in  a  strong 
Democratic  township.  He  owns  one  farm  of  thirty-one  acres,  which  is  in 
a  good  state  of  cultivation,  and  supplied  with  good,  commodious  buildings. 
Besides  this  farm,  which  is  always  kept  in  first-class  condition,  he  also  owns 
another  farm,  of  about  seventy  acres,  located  near  the  Westchester  county 
fair  grounds,  and  upon  this  place  are  fine  new  buildings  and  other  substantial 
improvements.  He  also  owns  several  other  small  pieces  of  property  in  the 
town  of  Greenburg,  and  in  addition  to  his  farming  operations  does  an  exten- 
sive business  in  grading  streets  and  highways,  making  excavations,  etc. 

When  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  chose  as  the  partner  of  life's  vicissi- 
tudes Miss  Ada  McFadden,  of  the  town  of  Greenburg,  whose  father  was 
James  McFadden,  and  whose  great-grandfather  emigrated  to  this  country 
from  Ireland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lander  are  the  proud  parents  of  nine  children*.. 
Florence,  Howard,  Clarence,  James,  Frank,  Irvin,  Walter,  Bessie  and 
Everett.  Mr.  Lander  is  a  Republican,  and  in  1891  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  school  trustee.,  serving  three  years.  He  is  a  member  of  Diamond 
Lodge,  555,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Dobbs  Ferry,  and  the  Spring  Valley  Lodge, 
I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  marked  ability,  and 
stands  well  in  the  community. 


ALBERT.  S.  LEVINESS. 


Mr.  Leviness,  a  retired  farmer  living  at  Hartsdale,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Greenburg,  Westchester  county,  December  7,  1826,  the  second  soa 
of  Jonathan  and  Charlotte  (Underbill)  Leviness.  His  father  was  born  in  the 
same  town,  in  1800,  was  a  farmer  in  early  life,  a  prominent  citizen,  a  mem- 
ber and  trustee  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  church  and  a  man  of  great  force  of 
character;  he  died  in  1886.      His  father,  Joseph  Leviness,  was  also  a  native 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  705 

of  Westchester  county,  married  Elizabeth  Sherwood,  and  had  five  sons  who 
married  and  had  children.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  the  daughter 
of  Gilbert  Underbill,  who  married  a  Miss  Hart  and  had  thirteen  children, 
— nine  daughters  and  four  sons.  William  Underbill,  father  of  Gilbert,  mar- 
ried Ann  Underbill  and  by  occupation  was  a  farmer. 

Albert  S.  Leviness  was  reared  principally  on  the  farm  and  received  a 
good  common-school  education,  going  to  school  during  the  winter  terms. 
In  his  twentieth  year  he  married  and  settled  on  a  rented  farm  for  four  years, 
after  which  he  purchased  a  farm  of  thirty  acres  of  Benjamin  T.  Underbill, 
and  continued  in  successful  general  farmirg  until  1895,  when  he  disposed  of 
bis  place  and  retired  from  active  life,  attending  only  to  the  financial  features 
of  what  business  may  remain  on  his  hands. 

He  was  first  married  to  Dorcas  Tomkins,  of  Greenburg,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Mary  Tompkins,  born  in  that  town  January  2,  1826.  The  chil- 
dren by  this  marriage  were:  James  T. ;  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Eugene  Sherwood, 
a  son  of  John  Sherwood,  residing  in  New  Canaan,  Connecticut;  and  Jay 
Hart,  who  resides  in  Greenburg  township.  Mrs.  Leviness  died  in  1893,  and 
for  his  second  wife  Mr.  Leviness  married,  October  4,  1894,  Mrs.  Harriet 
Mead,  widow  of  Amos  Mead,  her  maiden  name  having  been  Dusenbury,  as 
she  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Jane  (Underbill)  Dusenbury.  By  her  first 
marriage  her  children  were  Allen  and  Henry. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leviness  are  members  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  church. 
In  politics  he  is  independent.  In  public  office  be  has  served  as  school  trus- 
tee and  roadmaster.  He  has  now  passed  his  seventy-second  birthday,  is 
hale  and  hearty  and  in  the  possession  of  all  his  faculties.  He  has  always 
been  an  industrious  citizen  and  good  manager,  accumulating  a  handsome 
amount  of  property  to  enjoy  in  his  declining  years. 


WILLIAM  C.   LAWRENCE. 

In  viewing  the  mass  of  mankind  in  the  varied  occupations  of  life  the 
conclusion  is  forced  upon  the  observer  that  in  the  vast  majority  of  cases  men 
have  sought  employment  not  in  the  line  of  their  peculiar  fitness  but  in  that 
where  caprice  or  circumstances  has  placed  them,  thus  explaining  the  reason 
of  the  failure  of  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  those  who  enter  commercial  and  pro- 
fessional circles.  Mr.  Lawrence,  however,  has  a  strongly  developed  com- 
mercial instinct,  and  therefore  in  bis  business  life,  which  lies  along  that  line, 
he  has  prospered.  The  qualities  which  insure  success — perseverance,  indus- 
try and  capable  management — are  his,  and  they  have  been  strengthened  by 
wise  use  through  the  years  of  an  honorable  and  active  business  career. 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  born  May  6,  i860,  in   the  village  of  Ardsley,  where 
45 


706  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

he  now  makes  his  home,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Hannah  T.  (Southanj 
Lawrence.  His  paternal  grandparents  were  William  and  Hannah  (Vincent) 
Lawrence,  and  the  former  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  Westchester 
county,  where  he  followed  the  trade  of  blacksmithing  in  his  early  life,  aban- 
doning it  in  later  years  in  ord^r  to  devote  his  energies  to  farming,  which  con- 
tinued to  be  his  vocation  until  his  life  labors  were  ended  in  death,  abouf 
1880.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  C.  T.  Southan,  was  of 
English  birth  and  came  to  this  country  in  1832.  He  established  a  meat 
market  at  Dobbs  Ferry,  in  1835,  and  for  forty  years  carried  on  business, — 
until  1875, — when  he  sold  out  to  his  son-in-law,  Daniel  Lawrence,  and  James 
E.  Southan.  He  resided  in  Ardsley,  but  carried  on  business  at  Dobbs 
Ferry. 

Daniel  Lawrence,  father  of  our  subject,  was  likewise  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Greenburg,  Westchester  county,  born  August  19,  1829.  He  learned 
the  butcher's  trade  under  the  direction  of  C.  T.  Southan,  in  whose  employ 
he  remained  for  twenty  years,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  James  E. 
Southan  and  purchased  the  business.  After  three  years  the  partnership  was 
dissolved  by  mutual  consent.  Mr.  Lawrence  continued  the  business  alone 
for  fifteen  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son, 
William.  He  then  retired  to  private  life,  enjoying  the  rest  made  possible  by 
his  long  years  of  former  toil.  He  now  resides  in  Ardsley,  and  is  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  Dobbs  Ferry  Bank,  with  which  he  has  been  connected  in 
that  capacity  since  its  organization.  He  has  long  been  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  Ardsley,  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  its  affairs,  and  was  the  first  president  of  the  village,  having  served  in 
that  capacity  for  two  years.  He  was  for  twelve  years  school  trustee,  is  now 
school  treasurer,  and  was  appointed  by  Governor  Black  as  state  loan  com- 
missioner for  Westchester  county.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  has  always 
been  a  Republican,  and  stanchly  advocates  the  principles  of  his  party.  In 
1858  he  married  Miss  Hannah  T.  Southan,  a  daughter  of  Cornelius  T. 
and  Mary  E.  (Edwards)  Southan,  and  their  only  child  is  the  subject  of 
this  review. 

William  C.  Lawrence  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Ardsley,  and  spent  one  year  in  the  high  school  of  Yonkers.  On 
laying  aside  his  text-books  he  entered  his  father's  employ,  was  his  assistant 
for  several  years,  and  when  the  latter  retired  from  business  became  his  suc- 
cessor as  proprietor  of  the  leading  meat  market  in  Dobbs  Ferry.  He  has 
also  established  a  market  at  Ardsley,  and  is  now  enjoying  a  very  large  and 
constantly  increasing  business.  He  has  great  energy,  and  his  well  directed 
and  honorable  efforts  have  brought  to  him  a  handsome  competence.  His 
reputation   for  reliable   dealing  is   most   enviable,   and   he  occupies   a  high 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  707 

position  in  business  circles.  He  is  a  man  of  resourceful  abilitj',  however, 
and  his  efforts  have  been  by  no  means  confined  to  one  line.  He  is  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Ardsley  Ice  Company  and  a  director  of  the  Dobbs  Ferry 
Savings  Bank.  His  sound  judgment  in  business  matters  renders  his  service 
and  counsel  valuable,  and  insures  the  success  of  any  undertaking  with  which 
he  is  connected. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  1883,  Mr.  Lawrence  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Ella  J.  Ward,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Helen  Ward,  of  Williams 
Bridge.  They  have  one  child,  Ralph  Howard,  now  a  student  in  the  Yonkers 
schools.  Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  he  quickly  notes  any 
measure  or  movement  intended  for  the  public  good,  forwarding  the  work  by 
his  aid  and  influence.  He  was  president  of  the  Ardsley  Hose  Company  for 
two  years,  is  a  member  of  Diamond  Lodge,  No.  555,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
Dobbs  Ferry,  is  president  of  the  Lyceum,  and  is  a  valued  representative  of 
the  Irvington  Pastime  Club.  In  his  political  views  he  has  always  been  a 
stalwart  Republican,  exercising  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  both 
local  and  state  politics  and  has  frequently  been  chosen  delegate  to  the  county, 
district  and  state  conventions  of  his  party.  He  has  been  receiver  of  taxes 
for  the  town  of  Greenburg  for  one  term  and  is  president  of  the  board  of 
health  of  Ardsley,  but  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  political  office  have  had 
no  great  attraction  for  him,  as  he  prefers  to  devote  his  energies  to  his  busi- 
ness interests,  in  which  he  has  met  with  signal  success.  He  is  a  recognized 
factor  in  commercial,  political  and  social  circles,  and  his  genial  manner  ren- 
ders him  very  popular  with  all. 


PELHAM  L.    McCLELLAN. 

It  is  an  important  duty  to  honor  and  perpetuate  as  far  as  is  possible  the 
memory  of  an  eminent  citizen, — one  who  has  conferred  honor  and  dignity 
upon  society.  As  a  successful  lawyer  Mr.  McClellan  was  for  many  years 
prominently  identified  with  the  affairs  of  Westchester  county.  Admitted  to 
the  bar,  he  at  once  entered  upon  practice,  and  from  the  beginning  was 
unusually  prosperous  in  every  respect.  The  success  that  he  attained  was  due 
to  his  own  efforts  and  merits.  The  possession  of  advantage  is  no  guaranty 
whatever  of  professional  success.  This  comes  not  of  itself,  nor  can  it  be 
secured  without  integrity,  ability  and  industry.  Those  qualities  he  possessed 
to  an  eminent  degree,  and  he  was  faithful  to  every  interest  committed  to  his 
charge.  Throughout  his  whole  life,  whatsoever  his  hand  found  to  do, 
whether  in  his  profession,  his  official  duties,  or  in  any  other  sphere,  he  did 
with  all  his  might  and  with  a  deep  sense  of  conscientious  obligation. 


708  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Mr.  McClellan  was  born  in  1832,  and  was  a  son  of  Hon.  William 
McClellan,  of  New  Rochelle.  After  attending  the  public  schools  of  that  place 
he  entered  the  collegiate  institute  of  William  Bryson,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  honor.  Soon  afterward  he  commenced  reading  law  in  the 
office  of  his  father,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1854.  The  same  year  he 
came  to  Mount  Vernon  and  entered  actively  upon  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion, with  his  main  office  at  that  place  and  an  additional  one  in  New  York 
city.  He  became  at  once  a  prominent  figure  in  local  affairs, — was  chosen 
clerk  of  the  young  village,  and  for  a  period  of  ten  years  served  in  the  dual 
capacity  as  clerk  and  attorney.  When  the  duties  had  grown  to  a  larger  vol- 
ume he  was  made  corporation  counsel,  and  he  served  his  neighbors  in  that 
sphere  at  different  periods  for  about  fifteen  years.  For  four  consecutive  years 
he  was  supervisor  of  the  town  of  East  Chester,  and  in  1862  was  elected  dis- 
trict attorney  of  Westchester  county. 

Politically  Mr.  McClellan  was  a  Democrat  of  strong  convictions;  his 
devotion  to  his  party  was  unswerving,  and  for  years  his  service  as  an  orator 
was  in  demand.  In  all  campaigns  of  his  day  he  made  speeches  throughout 
the  county,  and  older  citizens  speak  admiringly  of  his  forcible  and  convincing 
arguments.  He  was  a  man  of  high  intellectuality,  broad  human  sympathies 
and  tolerance,  imbued  with  fine  sensibilities  and  clearly  defined  principles. 
Honor  and  integrity  were  synonymous  with  his  name,  and  he  enjoyed  the 
respect,  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Mr.  McClellan  married  Miss  Sarah  A.  Ferden,  who  survives  him,  and  to 
them  were  born  two  sons:  William  Wallace,  now  a  resident  of  Albuquerque, 
New  Mexico,  and  the  founder  of  the  Mount  Vernon  (New  York)  Argus;  and 
Clarence  S.,  who  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  who  is  presi- 
dent of  the  People's  Bank  and  a  director  of  several  other  corporations. 


THADDEUS  K.   GREEN. 


Thaddeus  K.  Green,  the  well  known  and  popular  proprietor  of  the 
Katonah  Hotel,  at  Katonah,  New  York,  and  a  successful  and  enterprising 
business  man,  is  a  native  of  Westchester  county,  born  in  Newcastle  town- 
ship, July  16,  1859.  His  parents  were  Alsoph  and  Hester  A.  Green.  His 
father,  whose  death  occurred  March  24,  1884,  was  for  many  years  one  of 
the  prominent  representatives  of  the  business  interests  of  the  county.  Early 
in  life  he  was  connected  with  a  cotton  mill,  later  was  proprietor  of  a  hotel 
and  prior  to  his  death  became  interested  in  dealing  in  real  estate.  Upright 
and  honorable  in  all  his  transactions  he  easily  won  the  confidence  and  friend- 
ship of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  no  man  in  the  community 
was  held  in  higher  regard  or  more  richly  deserves  the  esteem  of  his  fellow 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  709 

townsmen.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance,  weighing  about  two 
hundred  pounds.  Politically,  he  was  connected  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  socially  he  affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His 
wife,  now  a  widow,  is  a  most  estimable  lady  who  proved  to  him  a  valuable 
helpmeet. 

Thaddeus  K.  Green  pursued  his  education  for  a  time  in  the  Claverick 
Institute  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  WiUiston  Academy  of  Eastham,  Massachu- 
setts. He  received  his  business  training  in  New  York  city,  and  on  returning 
to  Westchester  county  became  interested  in  the  hotel  business  in  Katonah. 
Being  frank  and  genial  in  manner  and  having  an  extended  acquaintance  in 
the  state,  he  soon  secured  a  liberal  patronage  and  is  now  one  of  the  most 
popular  hotel  proprietors  in  this  section.  In  company  with  Dr.  Carpenter, 
of  Katonah,  he  is  also  extensively  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business,  and  in 
this  venture  he  is  also  meeting  with  excellent  success. 

In  1880  Mr.  Green  wedded  Miss  Ida  M.  Sturges,  a  lady  of  culture  and 
refinement,  and  a  daughter  of  McFarland  Sturges.  They  now  have  one  son, 
Alsoph,  a  lad  of  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Green  is  a  prominent  Mason  and  in  his 
life  exemplifies  the  ennobling  principles  of  the  fraternity.  He  belongs  to 
the  blue  lodge,  chapter  and  commandery,  and  is  also  a  Noble  of  Mecca 
Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  and  in 
1895  was  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  representative  to  the  state  legislature. 
He  made  a  strong  canvass  and  ran  about  seven  hundred  votes  ahead  of  his 
ticket,  but  like  the  other  candidates  of  the  party  was  defeated,  his  opponent 
being  James  W.  Hunter,  of  Peekskill.  He  has  always  taken  an  active 
interest  in  political  affairs,  and  is  a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks  of 
the  Democracy,  and  a  member  of  the  Democratic  Club  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  yet  is  popular  with  all  parties,  his  genuine  worth  winning  him  the 
friendship  and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  is  brought  in  contact. 


JEREMIAH  T.  LOCKWOOD. 

Deeds  of  valor  and  of  heroism  have  been  the  theme  of  story  and  of 
song  from  the  earliest  ages,  and  tales  of  battle  have  stirred  the  blood  and  fired 
the  ambition  of  many  a  youth.  When  the  United  States  was  engaged  in 
civil  war  and  the  country  needed  the  support  of  all  her  loyal  sons,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review,  then  a  boy  in  years,  went  to  the  front  as  a  defender  of 
the  stars  and  stripes.  Thoughout  his  life  he  has  manifested  the  same 
loyalty  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  and  is  equally  firm  in  his  defense  of  a 
principle  in  which  he  believes,  so  that  at  all  times  and  in  all  places  he  com- 
mands the  respect  and  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he  is  associated. 


710  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Mr.  Lockwood  is  a  native  of  New  England,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  New  Canaan,  Connecticut,  in  1846.  On  the  paternal  side  he  is  descended 
from  good  old  Revolutionary  stock,  and  on  the  maternal  side  from  the 
French  Huguenots  who  sought  homes  and  liberty  of  conscience  in  America. 
The  founder  of  the  Lockwood  family  in  the  New  World  was  Robert  Lock- 
wood,  who  located  in  Watertown,  Massachuetts,  in  1630.  His  son.  Lieu- 
tenant Jonathan  Lockwood,  served  as  a  member  of  the  Connecticut  legisla- 
ture, and  was  also  a  member  of  the  committee  appointed  to  determine  the 
Connecticut  and  New  York  boundary  line.  Joseph  and  James  Lockwood 
were  prominent  actors  in  events  which  form  the  colonial  and  Revolutionary 
history  of  the  country,  and  Jacob  Lockwood  served  in  the  war  of  18 12:  so 
that  there  has  been  no  lack  of  patriotic  devotion  to  the  country  in  days  both 
of  peace  and  strife.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Jeremiah  T.  and  Jane 
(Sheragon)  Lockwood,  and  the  latter  was  of  Holland  descent. 

Jeremiah  T.  Lockwood,  Jr.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  in  his  native  town  and  in  New  York  city.  He  acquired  a  good 
practical  English  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  at  the  time  the  civil 
war  was  inaugurated  he  was  living  with  his  parents  in  Westchester  county. 
Fired  with  the  spirit  of  patriotism  and  loyalty,  all  through  the  summer  of 
1862  he  endeavored  to  obtain  the  consent  of  his  parents  to  his  enlistment. 
They,  however,  opposed  him.  They  already  had  one  son  at  the  front,  and 
believed  this  one  was  too  young  and  small  for  field  service.  "  Wait,"  they 
counseled;  but  while  he  was  waiting  the  country  was  having  a  hard  struggle 
to  preserve  the  Union  intact,  and  this  lad  of  sixteen  summers  could  not  con- 
tent himself  at  home.  Accordingly,  on  the  28th  of  August,  1862,  having 
been  sent  by  his  father  to  New  York  to  pay  an  insurance  policy,  he  stepped 
into  a  recruiting  office  and  enrolled  his  name  among  the  defenders  of  the 
Union.  Returning  home,  he  informed  his  parents  of  the  step  he  had  taken, 
and  though  they  wished  he  had  done  otherwise,  they  assisted  him  to  prepare 
to  go  to  the  front,  and  a  week  after  his  enlistment  he  was  assigned  to  Com- 
pany A,  Fourth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery,  at  Fort  Franklin,  Maryland,  in 
the  defense  of  Washington. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  at  that  time  were  at  Fort  Ethan  Allen, 
Virginia.  In  December,  1862,  Mr.  Lockwood  went  with  his  company  to 
Fort  Marcy,  Virginia,  where  he  remained  until  March,  1864.  During  his 
entire  service  in  the  army  he  was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty,  ready  for 
any  task  that  might  be  assigned  to  him,  with  the  exception  of  the  time  which 
he  spent  in  the  hospital  after  being  wounded,  and  during  a  short  furlough, 
which  was  granted  him  on  account  of  his  injuries.  He  was  in  all  the  battles 
in  which  his  company  engaged  from  the  Wilderness  to  Petersburg.  At  the 
latter  place  he  received  what  was  nearly  a  fatal  wound.      He  was  in  the  front 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.         ■  711 

of  the  army  on  the  i8th  of  June,  1864.  At  daj'break  his  company  charged 
through  a  cornfield  and  captured  one  line  of  works.  They  then  advanced 
out  upon  the  plank  road,  where  they  remained  until  twenty  minutes  after 
eleven,  when  the  order  came  to  charge  upon  the  last  works.  Together  they 
dashed  forward  in  the  second  charge.  Lockwood  was  a  little  in  advance, 
and  had  gone  about  fifty  feet  from  the  works,  when  he  was  struck  by  a  bullet, 
which  entered  his  right  side  between  the  second  and  third  ribs,  and,  passing 
through  the  body,  came  out  below  the  shoulder-blade.  The  line  advanced 
beyond  him,  and  finally  the  order  came  to  fall  back.  As  it  was  obeyed,  two 
of  his  comrades  helped  him  up  and  carried  him  into  the  works.  Upon 
this  spot  Fort  Hell,  opposite  Fort  Damnation,  was  afterward  built.  Mr. 
Lockwood  was  later  taken  to  the  Carver  United  States  General  Hospital, 
where  he  remained  until  the  end  of  the  war. 

On  leaving  home  his  mother  had  given  him  a  Testament,  which  he  car- 
ried in  his  inner  pocket,  and  which  is  still  in  his  possession, — stained  with 
the  blood  which  flowed  from  his  wound  on  the  day  of  the  attack  before  Peters- 
burg. On  the  28th  of  August,  1865,  just  three  years  after  his  enlistment,  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge,  the  war  having  ended,  and  his  term  having 
expired.  He  may  justly  be  proud  of  his  army  record,  as  it  is  that  of  a  brave 
and  loyal  soldier-boy,  whose  fearlessness  and  fidelity  equaled  that  of  many  a 
veteran  of  twice  his  years.  One  of  his  most  cherished  mementoes  is  a  letter 
from  his  old  commander.  General  Hancock,  dated  February  25,  1879,  writ- 
ten in  response  to  a  request  for  the  General's  photograph.  The  General  sent 
two,  and  said: 

They  are  the  best  I  have.  One  was  taken  in  1864, — about  January.  I  was  not  then  per- 
fectly well;  very  thin.  I  had  not  recovered  from  my  wound  of  Gettysburg,  the  previous  July 
3d.  The  second  was  taken  in  1866,  when  I  did  not  take  quite  so  much  exercise  as  during  the 
war.  I  was  then  stationed  in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  I  am  very  glad  to  comply  with  your  wish. 
I  always  have  a  warm  place  in  my  breast  for  men  who  served  under  and  with  me. 

I  am  very  truly  yours, 

WiNFiELD  Scott  Hancock. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Lockwood  returned  to  the  pursuits  of  civil 
life,  and  he  has  been  quite  successful  in  his  business  ventures.  Until  1880 
he  was  engaged  in  the  furniture  and  undertaking  business  with  Hoyt  Broth- 
ers, at  Katonah,  New  York,  and  now  has  a  fine  establishment  of  his  own  in 
White  Plains,  New  York.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  undertakers  of  West- 
chester county,  and  is  president  of  the  Undertakers'  Association  of  West- 
chester, Putnam  and  Rockland  counties.  His  business  career  is  character- 
ized by  the  strictest  integrity  and  straightforward  dealing,  and  by  his  well 
directed  efforts  he  has  acquired  a  comfortable  competence. 

Mr.  Lockwood  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1888,  to  Miss  Louisa  Carpen- 
ter,   daughter  of   Franklin  and    Helen   (Roberts)   Carpenter,    the  former  a 


712  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

native  of  Vermont  and  the  latter  of  Connecticut.      Mrs.  Lockwood  was  born 
in  Tiffin,  Ofiio,  and  by  her  marriage  she  has  one  son,  Richard  C. 

In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Lockwood  is  connected  with  McKeel  Post, 
No.  1 20,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Katonah,  New  York.  He  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Black  a  member  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  State  Reformatory  for 
Women,  at  Bedford,  New  York,  in  1898,  but  has  never  otherwise  held  office, 
preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  his  business.  He  is  a  valued  and 
esteemed  citizen  of  White  Plains,  prominent  in  business,  and  of  sterling 
worth  of  character. 

EDMUND    SCHOLLDERFER,  M.   D. 

Among  the  leading  members  of  the  medical  profession  of  Westchester 
county  is  numbered  this  gentleman,  whose  practice  in  Yorktown  Heights 
extends  over  a  period  of  about  fifteen  years.  He  is  a  great  student,  pos- 
sesses a  fine  medical  library  and  devotes  much  of  his  leisure  time  to  research 
and  reading  along  the  line  of  his  chosen  work.  Of  genial  manner  and  pleas- 
ing address,  he  impresses  a  new  acquaintance  favorably  from  the  start  and 
his  friends  are  legion.  He  takes  deep  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to 
medical  science  and  keeps  fully  abreast  of  modern  methods  of  treatment  of 
disease.  A  loyal  adherent  of  the  Republican  party  principles,  he  has  never 
aspired  to  public  honors,  but  does  his  duty  as  a  citizen  and  voter.  Socially, 
he  is  identified  with  Cortlandt  Lodge,  No.  34,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Peekshill. 

A  son  of  Leonard  and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Fisher)  Schollderfer,  both  natives 
of  Germany,  the  Doctor  was  born  in  Westchester  county,  December  31,  1855. 
His  father  died  some  years  ago,  in  1877,  but  the  mother  is  still  living,  her 
home  being  in  Yorktown.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  sons  and  four 
daughters,  two  of  whom  have  been  summoned  to  the  silent  land.  They 
are:  George,  who  married  Ella  Miller  and  resides  at  Highland  Station, 
Putnam  county,  New  York;  Emily,  Mrs.  William  Maguire,  also  of  Highland; 
Christina,  Mrs.  John  Denike,  also  a  resident  of  that  place;  Charlotte,  Mrs. 
Arthur  Smith,  of  Peekskill,  this  state;  Leonard,  who  resides  at  Mount  Kisco; 
and  Henry  and  Elizabeth,  deceased. 

After  completing  his  common-school  education  the  Doctor  attended  the 
Peekskill  Military  Academy  for  some  time,  and  about  1878  took  up  the  study 
of  medicine,  under  the  guidance  of  Dr.  John  K.  Tilden,  of  Peekskill,  New 
York,  for  one  year,  and  next  was  under  the  tuition  of  Ambrose  L.  Ranny, 
the  uncle  of  Professor  A.  L.  Loomis,  of  New  York  city.  He  then  pur- 
sued a  regular  course  of  lectures  and  studies  in  the  New  York  Med- 
ical University  and  was  duly  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine,  in  1881.  For  two  or  more  years  he  practiced  in  Peekskill,  and 
then  removed  to  his  present  home.      Here  he  has  gained  an  excellent  reputa- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  718 

tion  as  a  family  physician  and  finds  his  time  pretty  fully  occupied  in  attend- 
ing to  his  numerous  patients.  He  stands  well  with  his  medical  brethren  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Westchester  County  Medical  Society  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  church  and  is  an  active  worker  in  its  varied  branches 
of  usefulness.  He  is  an  officer  in  the  congregation  and  is  zealous  in  forward- 
ing the  best  interests  of  the  church.  February  21,  1889,  he  married  Mrs. 
Marietta  Tompkins,  a  widow,  a  daughter  of  John  B.  Tompkins,  but  death 
■claimed  her  upon  the  loth  of  March,   1891. 


ISAAC  R.   LOUNSBERRY. 

Every  nation  must  have  its  heroes,  but  it  is  to  its  quiet,  level-headed, 
honest-hearted  citizens  that  any  nation  must  owe  its  permanent  supremacy. 
There  is  as  much  heroism  in  work  as  in  war.  The  quality  of  intellect  that 
can  direct  a  battle  to  a  victorious  issue  might  not  be  equal  to  the  prolonged 
strain  of  a  fight  for  commercial  success.  Integrity  is  the  chief  store  in  the 
foundation  of  every  really  successful  business  career,  and  the  Writer  who 
records  such  success  may  work  to  better  purpose  than  he  knows.  Isaac  R. 
Lounsberry,  a  prominent  and  respected  citizen  of  Yorktown,  Westchester 
county,  was  a  man  whose  sound  corhmon  sense  and  able  and  vigorous  man- 
agement of  his  affairs  were  important  factors  in  his  success,  and  his 
undoubted  integrity  of  character  gave  him  an  honorable  position  among  his 
fellow  men. 

Mr.  Lounsberry  was  born  on  the  old  family  homestead  in  Yorktown 
township,  where  his  great-grandfather,  Henry  Lounsberry,  a  native  of  New 
York  city,  located  probably  before  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Henry  Lounsberry  was  a  patriot  soldier  and  risked  his  life  in  the  Revolution- 
ary war  in  the  service  of  the  colonies.  His  son,  Henry  Lounsberry,  grand- 
father of  Isaac  R.  Lounsberry,  was  born  on  the  homestead  in  Yorktown 
township.  He  married  Miss  Jean  Covert,  a  representative  of  an  old  and 
prominent  family  of  Welsh  descent,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, the  youngest,  Henry,  Jr.,  being  the  father  of  Isaac  R.  The  mother  of 
these  children  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one  years,  and  both  she 
and  her  husband  were  sincere  and  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church. 

Henry  Lounsberry,  Jr. ,  Isaac  R.  Lounsberry's  father,  was  born  and 
reared  on  the  old  Lounsberry  place  in  Yorktown  township,  and  lived  sixty- 
nine  years.  He,  too,  held  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  he  was  a  life-long  adherent  to  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 
When  only  nineteen  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Quereau,  a  daughter  of  Elias 
•Quereau.      Mr.  Quereau  also  was  a  native  of  Westchester  county.      He  mar- 


714  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

ried  Charity  Rhodes,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Rhodes,  once  a  man  of  prominence 
here.  To  Henry  and  Catherine  (Quereau)  Lounsberry  were  born  five  chil- 
dren, the  eldest  living  son  being  Isaac  R.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

On  the  old  homestead  Isaac  R.  Lounsberry  passed  his  early  life  like  most 
farmer  boys,  attending  the  local  schools  and  aiding  in  the  work  of  the  farm. 
When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  helped  put  up  the  first  telegraph  wires 
between  New  York  and  Jersey  City,  and  by  the  time  he  reached  the  age  of 
fifteen  he  had  saved  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  with  which  sum  he  pur- 
chased a  meat  market  at  Sing  Sing,  which  he  managed  successfully  for  six 
years.  In  1867  he  disposed  of  valuable  real-estate  interests  in  that  city  and 
established  a  clothing  business  there  which  he  conducted  for  some  time.  In 
1872  he  embarked  in  the  ice  business.  Subsequently  he  again  engaged  in  the 
clothing  trade  in  Sing  Sing  and  continued  in  it  for  twenty  years,  building  up 
a  large  trade  and  gaining  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  progressive  and  reliable 
merchant.  In  1896  he  purchased  the  home  farm,  making  many  improve- 
ments, and  there  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  which  terminated  Octo- 
ber 6,  1898. 

Mr.  Lounsberry  was  married  April  12,  1863,  to  Miss  Abbie  J.  Haight, 
daughter  of  James  E.  Haight,  of  Yorktown,  who  survives  him.  To  them 
were  born  five  children:  Sarah,  wife  of  Nelson  Laraway,  of  Catskill,  New 
York,  who  has  one  child,  named  Hope;  Catharine;  Ida,  widow  of  Henry 
Palmer  and  mother  of  three  children,  named  Mildred,  Amy  and  Eunice;  Jen- 
nie C. ;  and  Isaac  R. ,  Jr.,  who  married  Florence  Irene  Walker,  of  Sing  Sing, 
and  has  a  son  named  Isaac  R. ,  the  third  of  the  name  in  the  family  and  of  the 
third  generation  in  direct  descent. 

The  success  of  Mr.  Lounsberry  was  won  fairly  and  openly,  always  in  gen- 
erous competition.  It  came  to  him  because  he  inspired  confidence  in  men, 
and  they  trusted  him  and  dealt  with  him  because  they  knew  that  whatever 
he  offered  for  their  consideration  was  honest  and  worth  whatever  price  he 
put  on  it.  His  success  was  the  result,  too,  of  good  judgment,  of  wise  plans 
well  made  and  judiciously  carried  out,  and  of  diligence  in  business  and  tire- 
less and  exacting  devotion  to  every  interest  demanding  his  attention.  In  his 
political  affiliations  Mr.  Lounsberry  was  a  Democrat,  and  his  influence  in  the 
councils  of  his  party  was  considerable.  He  was  averse  to  accepting  public 
office,  but  was  several  times  chosen  to  local  offices  of  responsibility,  including 
those  of  trustee,  town  clerk  and  assessor.  While  he  was  not  a  member,  he 
was  an  avowed  adherent,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Popular  as  was  Mr.  Lounsberry  in  the  business,  political  and  social 
world,  it  was  in  his  private  relations  that  he  shone  brightest,  and  placed 
others  under  the  greatest  obligations.  Those  who  really  knew  the  man  knew 
that  he  was  not  only  a  good  and  loyal  citizen,  but  also  a  sympathetic  and  help- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  715- 

ful  neighbor  and  a  faithful  and  reliable  friend.  It  was  in  the  home  circle 
that  he  was  at  his  best,  and  there  he  is  mourned  most  deeply.  He  was  a 
kind  and  loving  husband  and  indulgent  father.  To  him  home  was  a  sacred 
place,  and  his  affection  warmed  everything  within  its  walls.  There  was  noth- 
ing that  he  thought  too  good  for  it,  and  it  was  his  delight  to  supply  it  with 
every  comfort  and  luxury  at  his  command. 


IRA  McKEEL. 


The  well  known  and  popular  postmaster  of  Purdy  Station,  Westchester 
county,  is  Ira  McKeel,  who  has  for  many  years  been  prominently  identified 
with  its  commercial  interests.  He  embarked  in  business  at  that  place  on  a 
small  scale,  but  steadily  and  honorably  worked  his  way  upward  until  he 
attained  a  fair  degree  of  prosperity,  and  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  either  in  business  or  social  life. 

A  native  of  Westchester  county,  Mr.  McKeel  was  born  in  East  Chester 
township,  April  26,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael  McKeel,  Jr.,  whose  birth 
also  occurred  in  this  county,  as  did  also  the  birth  of  the  latter's  father, 
Michael  McKeel,  Sr. ,  who  was  of  German  descent.  Michael  McKeel,  Jr., 
wedded  Sarah  Schotts,  a  native  of  this  county,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  five  children,  namely:  Oscar,  Mrs.  Josephine  Buckhout,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Tompkins,  Michael  (deceased),  and  Ira,  our  subject.  The  father  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  was  a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-five  years,  and  the  mother  departed  this  life  at  Pleasantville,, 
this  county,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 

Ira  McKeel  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  the  Jonesville  Academy.  He  began 
his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  W.  E.  Schotts,  of  Mamaroneck, 
this  county,  and  later  became  a  partner  in  the  business.  In  1867  he  opened 
a  small  store  at  Purdy  Station,  which  he.  successfully  conducted  for  thirty 
years,  building  up  an  excellent  trade  by  fair  and  honorable  dealing.  He  has 
always  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  for  six  years  he  has  served  as  postmaster  at  Purdy  Station,  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  the  many  patrons  of  the  office.  Religiously  he  and  his 
family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  Mr.  McKeel  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
D.  Flewellyn,  at  Mount  Kisco,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Purdy) 
Flewellyn,  and  to  them  were  born  three  children:  Clara,  now  the  wife  of  N. 
H.  Miner,  a  merchant  of  Purdy  Station;  Mortimer,  who  is  now  at  Yorktown, 
this  county;  and  Niles,  who  is  also  at  Yorktown,  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business. 


716  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 


CHARLES  E.   YOUNG,  M.   D. 

Dr.  Young,  of  White  Plains,  New  York,  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New 
Tork,  August  27,  1858.  He  traces  his  ancestral 'history  back  to  the  year 
1573.  when  Edmund  Greenleaf  was  born  in  England.  His  maternal  grand- 
father, Moses  Greenleaf,  entered  the  Revolutionary  army  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, as  lieutenant,  became  captain  in  1776,  and  served  throughout  the  war. 
His  grandfather,  Elisha  White  Young,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  18 12,  and 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  western  New  York.  As  an  architect,  many  of  the 
■public  buildings  of  Mayville,  Chautauqua  county,  and  vicinity,  are  monuments 
to  his  memory.  The  Doctor's  father,  Elisha  Scott  Young, — like  himself  a 
self-made  man, — was  a  successful  New  York  city  lawyer. 

His  mother  is  the  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Greenleaf,  D.  D.,  who 
founded  the  Franklin  Avenue  Presbyterian  church,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
after  he  was  fifty  years  of  age,  and  subsequently  was  its  pastor  for  twenty-two 
years.  She  is  also  a  niece  of  Hon.  Simon  Greenleaf,  who  was  professor  of 
law  at  Harvard  University,  and  author  of  "  Greenleaf  on  Evidence;"  is  also  a 
great-granddaughter  of  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Parsons,  D.  D.,  of  Newburyport, 
Massachusetts,  at  whose  house  that  prince  of  preachers,  George  Whitefield, 
died,  and  the  remains  of  both  men  now  rest  side  by  side  under  the  old  South 
<:hurch,  over  which  Jonathan  Parsons  was  pastor.  Connection  with  these 
illustrious  New  England  families  relates  Dr.  Young  to  the  poets  Whittier  and 
Longfellow  and  to  a  long  line  of  distinguished  ancestry. 

Dr.  Charles  Elisha  Young  was  left  fatherless  at  the  age  of  five  years,  and 
the  family  was  later  in  dependent,  circumstances,  owing  to  the  mismanage- 
ment of  his  father's  valuable  estate.  A  part  of  his  early  education  was 
obtained  in  public  school  No.  12,  Brooklyn,  and  at  Nyack,  New  York;  and  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  he  engaged  as  an  errand  boy  in  New  York  city,  at  a  salary 
•of  three  dollars  per  week.  Feeling  the  necessity  of  further  education,  after 
drifting  about  in  various  menial  positions  he  devoted  his  spare  time  to  the 
study  of  preliminaries,  using  as  an  aid  the  evening  sessions  of  the  Brooklyn 
public  schools,  and  in  September,  1877,  entered  the  Massachusetts  Agricult- 
ural College,  where,  after  two  years  of  special  study,  he  determined  to  fol- 
low the  lead  of  his  ancestry  and  enter  professional  life.  Early  in  1879  he 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Charles  S. 
Cahoon,  of  Lyndon,  Vermont,  doing  chores  for  his  board,  and  in  March,  1880, 
having  been  awarded  a  scholarship,  commenced  his  first  course  of  lectures  in 
the  medical* department  of  the  University  of  Vermont,  at  Burlington.  The 
following  September  found  him  in  New  York  city,  an  almost  total  stranger, 
with  very  limited  resources.  He  matriculated  in  the  medical  department  of 
ihe  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  from  which  he  graduated  March  7, 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  717 

1882,  and  immediately  entered  upon  tlie  practice  of  medicine  in  that  city.  He 
soon  acquired  a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known« 
in  the  profession. 

Dr.  Young  was  elected  a  Resident  Fellow  of  the  New  York  Academy  of 
Medicine  March  i,  1888;  a  member  of  the  New  York  Physicians'  Mutual  Aid 
Association,  March  13,  1888;  and  a  member  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the 
County  of  New  York,  March  24,  1890.  He  was  appointed  to  the  stafT  of 
attending  physicians  to  the  Northeastern  Dispensary,  December  13,  1883, 
and  also  served  on  the  staff  of  attending  physicians  to  the  New  York  Found- 
ling Asylum  during  the  summer  of  1885.  Dr.  Young  early  became  expert  in 
the  fields  of  obstetrics,  gynecology  and  paediatrics,  and  has  written  articles 
upon  subjects  in  these  lines,  and  has  made  various  contributions  to  the  sub- 
ject of  medical  charity,  and  has  written  other  papers  both  within  and  outside 
of  the  field  of  medicine. 

Continuing  in  the  religious  belief  of  his  fathers.  Dr.  Young  was  ordained 
to  the  office  of  deacon  in  the  Central  Presbyterian  church,  of  New  York  city,- 
December  13,  1885,  and  served  as  secretary  of  the  board  until  he  removed 
his  residence  to  White  Plains,  September  7,  1893,  his  removal  here  being 
largely  on  account  of  the  health  of  his  family. 

Of  late  years  Dr.  Young  has  devoted  most  of  his  time  to  the  study  and 
treatment  of  chronic  diseases,  retaining  a  city  office  for  the  treatment  of  cases 
in  this  special  field. 

Dr.  Young  is  the  present  noble  grand  of  Hebron  Lodge,  No.  229,  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  regent  of  White  Plains  Council, 
No.  1762,  Royal  Arcanum.  He  is  also  medical  examiner  for  several  life  and 
accident  insurance  companies.  He  has  been  instrumental  in  the  education  of 
several  young  men  and  women.  For  his  scientific  attainments  the  Massa- 
chusetts Agricultural  College  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Science,  and  he  is  now  president  of  the  Massachusetts  Agricultural  College- 
Club  of  New  York.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Alpha  Chapter  of  the  Phi  Sigma 
Kappa  fraternity. 

Dr.  Young  married  Miss  Carrie  T.  Dinnis,  New  York  city,  September- 
13,  1888.     They  have  one  child,  Florence  Greenleaf  Young. 


DANIEL  MAPES. 


Southold,  Long  Island,  is  one  of  the  oldest  English  towns  in  the  state, 
having  been  settled  in  the  fall  of  1640.  Among  the  earliest  of  the  settlers 
was  Thomas  Mapes,  of  English  descent,  the  ancestor  of  the  many  families  of 
the  name  found  in  various  portions  of  the  country.  Thomas  Mapes  was  not 
only  one  of  the  pioneers  in  Soathold,  but  was   also  interested   in    the  settle- 


718  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

ment  of  the  town  of  Brookhaven,  Long  Island,  and  had  a  share  in  the  vari- 
ous divisions  of  land  in  that  town.  He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  William 
Furrier,  also  among  the  first  settlers  of  Southold.  In  1683  Thomas  Mapes 
was  made  freeman  of  the  colony  of  Connecticut,  of  which  Southold  was  a 
part  at  that  time.  He  was  taxed  for  two  hundred  and  forty-four  pounds, 
which  shows  him  to  have  been  a  man  of  means.  He  went  to  Brookhaven  in 
in  1655,  but  returned  to  Southold  in  1657,  and  died  there  in  1686.  He  pos- 
sessed much  land  in  Southold  and  one  part,  known  as  "  Mapes'  Neck,"  was 
owned  by  his  descendants  for  three  generations.  He  left  nine  children, — 
Thomas,  William,  Jabez,  Jonathan,  Abigail  (wife  of  John  Terrell),  Sarah 
(wife  of  William  Coleman),  Mary  (wife  of  Barnabas  Wines);  Noami,  and 
Rebecca  (wife  of  Thomas  Young,  son  of  Rev.  John  Young,  the  first  minister 
of  Southold). 

These  children  have  a  large  number  of  descendants.  Jonathan,  the 
fourth  son,  was  born  in  1671  and  died  in  1747.  He  married  Hester  Horton 
in  1696  and  had  two  sons, — Jonathan  and  Benjamin. 

Jonathan  was  the  father  of  John  Mapes,  born  March  10,  1766,  and  mar- 
Tied  Julia  Ann  Wood,  January  24,  1793.  Their  children  were:  Samuel,  born 
June  19,  1794,  who  has  no  living  descendants;  Anna,  born  December  7,  1796, 
who  died  unmarried;  Daniel,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  born  February  23, 
1800;  John,  born  September  10,  1802,  who  had  two  daughters,  Charlotte  and 
Caroline;  Leonard,  born  November  16,  1804;  Benjamin,  born  March  24, 
1810  (he  left  three  children:  Cornelia,  wife  of  Theodore  Fitch,  Emily,  wife 
of  Frederick  Strang,  and  Charles,  who  married  Clara  Masters);  James,  born 
October  7,  1812,  married  Rachel  Archer  and  had  four  children, — Leonard, 
John  A. ,  Emily  and  Anna.  John  Mapes,  the  father  of  this  family,  died  in 
1836,  and  his  wife  died  in  1840. 

After  the  death  of  the  parents,  Daniel  Mapes  and  his  sister  Anna,  owing 
to  their  age  and  great  decision  of  character,  became  the  acknowledged  heads 
of  the  family,  and  by  their  industry,  perseverance  and  integrity  exerted  a  very 
salutary  influence  in  the  community  in  which  they  resided.  In  early  life 
Daniel  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  the  village  of  West  Farms,  and  for 
half  a  century  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  successful  business  men  in 
the  southern  portion  of  the  county,  amassing  a  large  fortune,  which  he  dis- 
pensed in  the  latter  years  of  his  life  in  acts  of  benevolence  and  charity,  mak- 
ing liberal  contributions  to  the  educational  institutions  of  the  Reformed  church 
at  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  Cornell  University  and  the  Syrian  College 
at  Beyroot.  From  his  early  youth  he  was  noted  for  strictly  temperate 
habits,  to  which  he  attributed  his  uninterrupted  good  health  for  more  than 
.four-score  years. 

He  was  for  many  years  a  useful  and   honored  member  of  the  Reformed 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  719 

church  at  West  Farms  and  manifested  his  attachment  to  it  by  his  liberal  con- 
tributions to  its  support.  On  the  20th  of  January,  1884,  he  fell  asleep  in 
Christ,  full  of  years,  riches  and  honors,  and  was  buried  in  Woodlawn 
cemetery. 


LEVI  W.   FLAGG. 


Dr.  Levi  Wells  Flagg  was  born  in  West  Hartford,  Connecticut,  Febru- 
ary 14,  1 8 17.  After  receiving  a  thorough  primary  education  he  became  a 
student  of  Yale  College,  where  he  graduated  in  1839.  Among  his  class- 
mates were  Charles  Astor  Bristed  and  John  Sherman,  of  New  York;  Rev. 
Francis  Wharton  and  Hon.  H.  L.  Dawes,  of  Massachusetts;  ex-Governor 
Hall,  of  Missouri;  Professor  J.  D.  Whitney,  of  Cahfornia,  the  eminent  chem- 
ist and  geologist;   and  others  who  became  distinguished. 

After  graduating,  he  went  south  and  spent  three  years  in  teaching  in  St. 
Francisville,  Louisiana.  Returning  to  his  native  place,  in  1842,  he  studied 
medicine  for  a  year  with  Dr.  Pinckney  W.  Ellsworth.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time,  removing  to  New  York  city,  he  entered  the  office  of  Professor 
Willard  Parker,  with  whom  he  remained  two  years.  In  1847  he  graduated 
at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and  in  the  following  year  estab- 
lished himself  in  Yonkers  as  a  physician  of  the  "regular"  school.  Shortly 
afterward  he  was  induced  to  investigate  homeopathy,  the  result  being  a  con- 
viction, as  he  said,  of  its  superiority  over  the  old  system  of  practice.  He  at 
once  became  its  strong  advocate  and  the  pioneer  practitioner  in  the  country. 
His  success  in  introducing  the  new  system  was  most  marked;  he  grew  rapidly 
in  favor  with  the  community,  acquiring  wealth  and  a  pre-eminent  position 
among  the  physicians  of  the  locality.  Notwithstanding  his  change  of  pro- 
fessional faith,  the  relations  between  himself  and  his  old  teacher.  Professor 
Parker,  greatly  to  the  honor  of  the  latter,  ever  continued  of  the  most  friendly 
character. 

Dr.  Flagg  avoided  politics  entirely,  and  never  held  any  public  office 
of  a  political  character.  He  always  devoted  himself  wholly  to  his  profes- 
sion, in  which  he  was  a  zealous  and  untiring  worker,  a  portion  of  a  year  spent 
in  Europe,  and  a  short  time  in  Mexico,  being  almost  the  only  relaxation  he 
allowed  himself  between  the  commencement  of  his  practice  and  his  death,  on 
May  1$,  1884.  When,  in  1865,  the  Westchester  County  Homeopathic 
Medical  Society  was  organized,  he  was  elected  its  president,  and  held  that 
office  for  three  years.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Homeopathy. 

Dr.  Flagg  was  married,  on  May  17,  1848,  to  Charlotte  Whitman,  of 
Hartford,  Connecticut,  and  they  had   eight   children,  five  of  whom  survived 


720  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

him:    Howard  W.,  Marietta  W.,  Lucy  W.,  George  A.  and  Robert  N.  Flagg, 
M.  D.,  who  succeeded  to  the  practice  of  his  father. 

It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  we  present  our  readers  with  the  above 
brief  sketch  of  one  of  the  most  popular  and  successful  physicians,  as  well 
as  most  useful  and  upright  citizens,  that  it  has  ever  been  the  good  fortune 
of  Westchester  county  to  possess.  Dr.  Flagg  came  to  Yonkers  when  the 
village  was  in  its  infancy,  and  for  thirty-six  years  he  watched  its  develop- 
ment and  growth.  No  one  was  or  could  be  better  known  than  he.  By  his 
steadfast  integrity,  his  professional  ability  and  his  genial  and  winning  manner 
he  won  for  himself  the  respect  of  the  business  community,  an  extensive  and 
lucrative  practice  and  a  high  social  standing.  His  death  not  only  created 
a  vacancy  beside  the  family  hearth,  but  was  also  a  loss  to  the  city  and  county 
in  which  he  lived. 

WILLIAM  H.  BELL. 

The  name  forming  the  caption  of  this  sketch  is  a  household  appellation 
in  the  village  of  Pleasantville  and  town  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Westchester 
county.  New  York.  Indeed,  perhaps  no  man  in  the  town  is  better  known 
than  William  H.  Bell.  For  more  than  two-score  years  he  has  been  interested 
officially  in  its  educational  matters,  having  served  as  school  trustee  and  presi- 
dent of  the  school  board  twenty-one  years,  and  in  every  way  he  has  had  at  heart 
the  highest  welfare  of  its  people. 

Mr.  Bell  was  born  October  5,  1837,  in  the  town  of  North  Castle,  a  son. 
John  and  Mary  E.  (Slagle)  Bell.  His  father  was  a  native  of  England  and 
his  mother  of  New  York  state.  Both  are  deceased.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade.  Of  their  ten  children  only  four  are  now  living.  William  H.,  our 
subject,  had  no  other  educational  advantages  than  those  afforded  by  the  pub- 
lic schools,  and  those  only  for  a  few  months.  On  reaching  manhood  h& 
chose  the  occupation  of  shoemaking,  which  he  had  learned  when  a  boy  and 
which  he  has  followed  mostly  ever  since.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Pleas- 
antville ever  since  1853,  interested  in  the  public  welfare  of  the  community. 
In  shoe-manufacturing  he  has  employed  as  many  as  seventy  hands  at  a  time, 
being  the  leader  in  this  line  at  Pleasantville.  Having  learned  his  trade  whea 
in  youth,  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age  when  he  established  his  business  in 
Pleasantville,  in  1863. 

In  1897  the  village  was  incorporated,  and  he  became  its  first  president, 
and  he  is  still  a  member  of  its  board  of  trustees,  and  he  has  filled  other 
important  local  offices.  He  has  also  served  as  delegate  to  several  conven- 
tions. The  duties  of  his  public  positions  he  has  ever  taken  pride  in  execut- 
ing faithfully.  He  was  formerly  a  Democrat  in  his  views  of  national  policy,, 
but  he  is  now  a  Prohibitionist. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  721 

Mr.  Bell  was  married  November  20,  1861,  to  Miss  Phcebe  Palmer  Far- 
rington,  the  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Susan  E.  (Clark)  Farrington,  and 
they  have  had  five  children,  namely:  Charles  F.,  George  W. ,  William  H., 
Jr.,  Frank  and  Hattie.  For  the  past  twenty-five  years  their  home  has  been 
on  the  Bedford  road,  where  they  enjoy  life  on  their  handsome  property.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bell  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Pleasant- 
ville.  Mr.  Bell  served  on  the  board  of  trustees  of  his  church  for  over  twenty- 
five  years,  as  treasurer  for  twenty  years,  and  is  at  present  a  steward,  which, 
office  he  has  held  for  many  years. 


ALEXANDER  SMITH. 


The  notoriety  of  this  gentleman  is  connected  mainly  with  the  founding 
of  the  great  carpet  mills  at  Yonkers.  As  the  threads  are  woven  and  inter- 
woven in  the  fabrics  manufactured  at  the  great  Alexander  Smith  &  Sons' 
Carpet  Mills,  so  the  threads  of  the  history  of  its  founder  are  woven  and  inter- 
woven in  the  history  of  this  enormous  industry.  Since  its  inauguration  in 
this  city,  it  has  not  only  been  making  carpets:  it  has  also  been  making  Yon- 
kers. Employing  as  it  does  to-day  about  four  thousand  operatives,  it  serves 
to  maintain  and  support  almost  one-third  of  the  entire  population  of  the  city. 
Certainly  the  founder  of  such  an  enterprise  is  worthy  of  the  enduring  affec- 
tion and  honor  of  all  the  citizens  of  the  Terrace  City. 

Alexander  Smith  was  born  near  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  October  14,  1818. 
His  father,  Nathaniel  Smith,  was  a  farmer,  and  his  early  years  were  spent 
"  close  to  nature's  heart,"  where  he  gained  a  rugged  constitution  and  acquired 
that  energy  and  perseverance  which  characterized  all  his  efforts  in  after  life. 
When  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  his  father  moved  to  West  Farms,  New 
York,  where  he  opened  a  small  country  store,  and  here  the  boy  had  his  first 
experience  in  mercantile  pursuits.  For  nine  years  he  worked  with  his  father, 
becoming  during  that  time  postmaster  and  colonel  of  the  local  militia.  In 
1845,  having  watched  with  the  interest  of  an  inventive  mind  the  small  carpet 
factory  at  West  Farms,  owned  by  James  W.  Mitchell,  then  employing 
twenty-five  hand  looms,  he  purchased  the  property  and  turned  all  his  energy 
and  interest  to  the  development  of  this  infant  industry.  At  first  the  enter- 
prise did  not  prove  a  success,  and  after  operating  the  factory  for  several 
years  he  closed  its  doors  and  went  to  Schenectad}',  where  he  remained  for  six 
months  as  superintendent  of  a  similar  institution.  Returning  to  West  Farms 
he  reopened  his  factory,  experimenting  with  looms  for  the  manufacture  of 
tapestry  ingrain  carpets,  for  which  he  secured  patents.  These  carpets  were 
the  principal  product  of  the  mill  for  a  number  of  years.  He  carried  on  busi- 
ness in  a  modest  way  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion  in   1861. 


46 


722  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  here  the  development  of  the  Axminster  loom, 
which  was  ultimately  to  give  the  firm  a  world-wide  reputation.  Its  unfore- 
seen, undreamed-of  beginning  was  due  to  the  meeting,  during  the  winter  of 
1849-50,  of  Halcyon  Skinner  and  Mr.  Smith.  Mr.  Skinner  had  become 
known  to  Mr.  Smith  as  a  skillful  artisan,  and  the  carpet  manufacturer 
applied  to  the  young  carpenter  for  aid  in  designing  and  making  the  machin- 
ery. In  1856  Mr.  Skinner  obtained  a  patent  conjointly  with  Mr.  Smith,  and 
an  experimental  loom  was  constructed.  Changes  and  improvements  were 
made  at  frequent  intervals,  and  in  i860  a  quite  complete  and  satisfactory 
loom  was  in  operation.  From  this  time  on  constant  improvements  were 
effected  until,  in  1871,  Mr.  Smith  conceived  the  idea  of  inventing  a  power 
loom  for  weaving  moquette  carpets,  thus  producing  a  fabric  equal  to 
Axminster  and  costing  considerably  less.  With  the  aid  of  Mr.  Skinner  this 
was  accomplished,  and  the  large  moquette  mill  on  Nepperhan  avenue  stands 
to  commemorate  this  successful  venture. 

The  following,  taken  from  an  old  journal,  will  indicate  the  early  develop- 
ment and  promise  of  the  factory  at  West  Farms:  "One  could  scarcely 
expect  to  find  in  the  village  of  West  Farms  an  incipient  rival,  in  carpet- 
making,  to  the  imperial  French  carpet  factory  of  the  Savonnerie,  or  of  the 
Gobelins.  It  is  nevertheless  true.  Alexander  Smith,  of  that  place,  exhibits 
a  power  loom  for  weaving  tufted  pile  carpeting  similar  to  that  now  produced 
by  hand  and  called  Axminster  or  Wilton.  This  factory  makes  twenty-five 
yards  of  carpet  a  day,  or  two  yards  an  hour. "  In  striking  contrast  with 
these  figures  is  the  present  output  of  nearly  forty-two  thousand  yards  per 
day,  or  twelve  million  yards  per  annum.  But  the  experience  at  West  Farms 
was  not  one  of  unbroken  prosperity;  indeed,  had  it  not  been  for  the  indomit- 
able perseverance  and  pluck  of  the  young  manufacturer  through  these  early 
years  of  misfortune,  the  enterprise  must  have  failed.  At  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war  he  sustained  large  losses  in  the  south,  causing  temporary  financial 
embarrassment,  from  which,  however,  he  quickly  recovered. 

In  1862,  at  a  time  when  everything  seemed  to  presage  success,  a  fire 
destroyed  his  entire  plant,  the  only  thing  saved  being  the  American  flag  that 
was  preserved  to  wave  over  one  of  the  largest  of  America's  industries.  Mr. 
Smith  immediately  rebuilt  and  again  set  himself  to  the  task  of  perfecting  the 
loom  for  tufted  carpets,  the  model  of  which  had  been  completely  destroyed 
by  the  fire.  Only  two  years  elapsed  before  another  conflagration  swept  away 
his  second  factory,  destroying  the  loom,  now  almost  perfect,  over  which 
years  of  labor  had  been  spent!  He  said  of  these  first  twelve  years  of  his 
experience,  so  full  of  trial  and  adversity,  of  anxiety  and  patient  affort,  that 
they  were  spent  in  bringing  this  second  invention  to  the  state  which  he  could 
rely  on  for  future  success.      "Tried  by  fire,"  he  stood  the  test,  and  out  of 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  723 

the  trial  came  the  strong,  firm,  undaunted  man,  who  could  fashion  and  plan 
an  enterprise  which  was  to  be  the  grandest  of  its  kind  on  the  western  hemis- 
phere. "Wise  men  ne'er  sit  and  wail  their  losses."  Alexander  Smith  was 
one  of  those  sagacious  men  who  are  "better  made  by  ill."  It  was  this  last 
fire  of  1864  that  resulted  in  his  moving  his  interests  from  West  Farms  to 
Yonkers.  "Ill  blows  the  wind  that  profits  no  one."  Thus  it  is  that,  as  a 
result  of  the  twin  disasters  at  the  place  where  he  had  first  ventured  his  fort- 
unes, he  determined  to  transfer  the  operations  of  his  business  interests  to 
Yonkers.  In  1864  he  purchased  the  property  which  comprises  part  of  that 
formerly  occupied  by  the  Waring  Hat  Factory.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
an  enterprise  which  was  destined  to  bring  more  of  the  laboring  classes  to 
this  community,  and  to  maintain  more  than  any  other  work  established  here 
has  accomplished.  Nearly  thirty-two  years  have  elapsed  since  its  inception. 
Further  on  will  be  found  a  sketch  showing  the  development  of  the  different 
mills,  together  with  statistics   relating  to  their  production  and  proportions. 

We  return  again  to  the  career  of  Mr.  Smith.  He  was  married  when 
quite  young  to  Miss  Jane  Baldwin,  daughter  of  Major  Ebenezer  Baldwin,  who 
was  a  well  known  resident  of  Yonkers.  He  had  two  children,  who  are  still 
residents  of  Yonkers, — Warren  B.  Smith,  who  succeeded  his  father  as  presi- 
dent of  the  carpet  company,  and  Eva  S.,  now  the  wife  of  William  F.  Cochran. 
He  married,  a  second  time,  a  Miss  Thomas,  of  Baltimore,  Maryland. 

Mr.  Smith  was  the  first  president  of  St.  John's  Hospital,  and  was  also  a 
member  of  the  board  of  education.  With  the  great  cares  which  his  large 
business  interests  laid  upon  him,  he  was  ever  sensible  of  and  responsive  to 
the  call  which  his  duty  as  a  citizen  involved.  He  took  an  active,  personal 
interest  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  city's  welfare.  He  was  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, and  was  a  candidate  for  mayor  of  the  city  in  1874,  but  was  defeated  by 
his  Democratic  opponent,  Joseph  Masten,  by  a  small  majority.  In  1878,  he 
was  nominated  by  his  party  for  congressman  from  his  district,  and  after  a 
vigorous  personal  campaign,  was  elected  by  a  very  large  majority.  It  was 
the  crowning  recognition  of  his  talents  and  ability  tendered  by  those  who  had 
known  him  most  intimately  for  years,  but  it  was  the  crowning  which  was 
bestowed  at  the  goal  of  a  life  successful  beyond  measure,  filled  to  the  full 
with  activity,  honored  and  beloved  by  all  who  had  the  good  fortune  to  know 
him,  for  he  died  on  the  eve  of  his  election  November  5,  1878,  at  the  age  of 
sixty.  The  suddenness  of  his  death  at  a  time  when  he  was  apparently  about 
to  enter  upon  a  new  and  larger  field  of  usefulness  caused  the  most  wide- 
spread disappointment  and  sorrow.  The  loss  of  no  citizen  of  Yonkers  has 
been  more  deeply  and  sincerely  mourned  than  that  of  Alexander  Smith.  On 
the  day  of  his  funeral,  by  unanimous  argeement,  all  the  stores  were  closed 
and  the  flags  all  over  the  city  hanging  at  half-mast  betokened  the  passing 


724  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

away  of  one  of  Yonkers'  most  distinguished  citizens.  A  few  days  after  liis 
death  a  memorial  service  was  held  at  Washburn  (now  Music)  hall,  when 
addresses  were  delivered  expressive  of  the  love  and  sympathy  of  the  people. 
No  words  could  more  fittingly  conclude  the  sketch  of  Mr.  Smith's  life  than 
those  uttered  by  William  Allen  Butler  on  that  occasion.  He  said:  "When 
we  stand  by  the  bier,  or  near  the  bier,  of  such  a  man  as  we  mourn  to- 
night, we  reassure  ourselves,  we  take  courage,  we  reassert  the  supremacy  of 
conscience  in  the  sphere  of  the  human  relations,  and  we  take  satisfaction 
and  solace  in  the  memory  of  the  good  and  benevolent  actions  which  belonged 
to  such  a  life,  which  death  cannot  destroy  and  which  smell  sweet  and 
blossom  in  the  dust." 

The  Alexander  Smith  &  Sons'  Carpet  Company's  Mills  of  to-day  deserve 
here  an  extended  notice.  The  carpets  manufactured  by  the  Alexander  Smith 
&  Sons'  Carpet  Company,  are  divided  into  two  classes,  viz. :  Tapestry  Brus- 
sels and  tapestry  velvets,  and  moquette  or  Axminster,  the  two  latter  being 
practically  the  same  weave  and  embracing  the  grades  known  as  Savonnerie, 
ne  p/us  ulira  a.nd  nonpdneil, — the  variation  in  closeness  of  texture  and  the 
quality  of  the  woolen  yarns  used  being  the  essential  difference.  The  tapestry 
goods  require  for  their  production  the  joint  efforts  of  three  distinct  mills, 
which  are  known  by  the  names  of  the  worsted  spinning-mill,  printing-mill  or 
"drum  "  room,  and  the  setting,  weaving  and  finishing  departments,  common- 
ly known  in  Yonkers  as  the  tapestry  mill. 

The  worsted  mill  is  located  on  the  Sawmill  river  road,  close  to  the  Oak- 
land cemetery's  main  entrance,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Nepperhan  river. 
This  plant  consists  of  one  main  structure  of  brick,  three  stories  and  base- 
ment, five  hundred  by  fifty-three  feet;  a  two-story  picker  room,  seventy-four 
by  fifty  feet,  and  two  separate  systems  for  wool  washing  and  drying  contained 
in  buildings  of  one  and  two  stories;  one  hundred  and  thirty  by  eighty  feet 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty  by  one  hundred,  exclusive  of  boiler  and  engine 
rooms.  This  mill  is  devoted  entirely  to  the  production  of  worsted  yarns  for 
carpet  purposes  and  has  a  daily  product  of  fourteen  thousand  pounds  of 
what  is  known  in  the  trade  as  i  is  and  I2s  yarn.  The  wool  used  is  derived 
entirely  from  foreign  shores,  and  is  known  as  carpet  combing,  is  long  in 
staple  and  is  coarser  than  anything  produced  in  the  United  States.  Donskois 
from  Russia,  Scotch  fleece,  Chinas  and  Cordovas  from  South  America  are 
the  main  descriptions  used.  The  principal  machinery  in  use  at  this  mill  is 
described  as  follows:  Fifty-two  sets  two-cylinder  cards,  twenty-three  Noble 
combs,  one  hundred  and  twenty  spinning  frames,  sixty-five  twisting  frames, 
and  all  the  necessary  subsidiary  machinery,  comprising  pickers,  washers,  dry- 
ers, etc.,  necessary  to  operate  the  above.  There  are  four  boilers  and  two 
engines,  with  a  joint  capacity  of   one  thousand  horse  power.      The  superin- 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  725 

tendent  in  charge  is  William  H.  Wolfe,  and  the  number  of  hands  employed 
is  six  hundred  and  thirteen. 

The  next  mill  to  be  considered  is  the  print  mill,  which  takes  the  worst- 
ed yarn  and  applies  the  colors  to  it.  This  mill  is  situated  opposite  the  worst- 
ed mill,  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Nepperhan  river.  It  is  a  two-story  brick 
building,  five  hundred  and  sixteen  by  one  hundred  and  ten  feet,  containing 
eighty-five  pairs  of  drums  or  cylinders,  on  which  the  yarn  is  printed,  after 
being  thoroughly  scoured  and  bleached.  After  being  steamed  and  dried  the 
yarn  is  then  ready  for  the  final  processes,  and  is  sent  to  the  tapestry,  setting 
and  weaving  mill.  One  engine  and  four  boilers  are  in  use  at  this  mill,  and 
there  are  employed  six  hundred  and  seven  hands.  William  Webb  is  in  general 
charge  of  the  printing,  and  William  McKim  of  the  color-mixing  department. 

The  tapestry  weaving  mill  comes  next,  and  is  the  plant  around  which 
clusters  whatever  sentiment  or  romance  there  may  be  associated  with  so  ma- 
terial a  matter  as  carpet-making,  as  this  was  the  nucleus  from  which  has 
sprung  the  present  immense  works.  It  is  situated  on  the  corner  of  Palisade 
avenue  and  Elm  street.  The  original  "  wooden  "  building  is  still  intact.  It 
was  bought  by  Alexander  Smith,  after  leaving  West  Farms,  in  1865;  and  to 
it  he  afterward  added  fifty  feet.  The  product  of  the  mill  at  that  time  could 
be  removed  daily  by  a  single-horse  wagon,  while  now  about  five  hundred  rolls 
of  carpeting  are  daily  forwarded  to  New  York  from  this  mill  alone.  The  old 
building  is  two  hundred  and  one  by  thirty-one  feet,  three  stories  and  base- 
ment, and  it  is  still  in  active  use  for  the  dressing  of  warps,  for  carpenter 
shops,  etc.,  and  it  is  looked  upon  with  a  feeling  somewhat  akin  to  reverence; 
but  it  is  inevitable  that  some  day  it  will  have  to  give  place  to  a  more  modern 
structure. 

There  is  a  large  machine-shop  adjoining  the  main  engine-rooms,  in 
which  are  employed  mechanics  who  look  after  repairs  directly  connected 
with  the  machinery  pertaining  to  this  plant.  This  mill  has  the  largest  num- 
ber of  employees  on  its  pay-roll,  the  latest  count  giving  one  thousand,  six 
hundred  and  forty  hands.  Reuben  Borland  is  the  present  superintendent  of 
the  moquette  mill.  A  unique  feature  of  the  mill  is  the  yarn-conveyor,  which 
takes  the  dyed  yarn  from  the  store-house  directly  to  the  top  floor  of  the  main 
building  by  means  of  an  endless  chain  and  carrier.  There  are  used  at  this 
mill  weekly  sixty  thousand  pounds  jute  yarn,  twenty-five  thousand  pounds 
cotton  yarn  and  thirty-one  thousand  pounds  woolen  yarn. 

The  following  are  a  few  miscellaneous  facts  in  connection  with  the  mills 
as  a  whole:  There  are  ninety  tons  of  bituminous  coal  consumed  daily,  and 
by  an  ingenious  device  attached  to  the  boiler  grates  the  smoke  is  consumed. 
The  employees  are  paid  weekly  on  every  Friday.  The  raw  and  finished 
goods  handled  daily  weigh  two  hundred  tons.     The  entire  buildings  owned 


726  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

by  the  company  have  been  protected  from  fire  by  automatic  sprinkling 
devices;  and,  in  addition,  there  are  four  fire  pumps  of  great  capacity  in  case 
the  city  water  should  fail.  Some  idea  of  the  extent  of  these  works  may  be 
gathered  from  the  fact  that  there  are  twenty-five  acres  of  floor  space  in  the 
mills  as  a  whole. 

Among  the  names  of  those  who  have  been  prominent  in  the  service  of 
the  company,  some  of  whom  are  dead,  should  be  mentioned:  Halcyon  Skin- 
ner, John  T.  Bell,  F.  T.  Holder,  John  A.  Dowe,  Thomas  Wigley,  William 
McKim,  Hiram  F.  Lord,  George  Borland,  Eugene  Tymeson,  John  Crowther, 
John  H.  Coyne,  William  H.  Wolfe,  George  Moshier,  E.  C.  Clark,  Harold 
Brown,  Richard  Edie,  Jr.,  William  Heatherington,  Walter  Thomas,  Henry 
Parton,  David  Paton,  Henry  J.  Laragh,  George  Stengel  and  John  Crawford. 
There  are  still  in  the  employ  of  the  company  three  or  four  hands  who  started 
in  with  Alexander  Smith  the  first  year  he  came  to  Yonkers. 

The  company  give  their  employes  a  Saturday  half-day  holiday  every 
summer  during  the  months  of  June,  July  and  August,  and  allow  them  their 
full  wages  for  the  time  lost.  The  total  number  of  hands  employed  is  four 
thousand  and  one  hundred.  A  large  number  of  the  adult  male  employes 
own  their  own  homes,  and,  as  the  mills  have  run  almost  steadily  for  the  past 
twenty  years,  the  hands  are  kept  more  uniformly  employed  than  are  those  of 
competing  concerns.  The  last  serious  stoppage  was  in  the  panic  year,  1893, 
when  the  mills  were  closed  five  months,  and  this  resulted  in  great  depression 
and  suffering  in  the  city  of  Yonkers. 

The  moquette  fabrics  made  by  the  company  have  been  exported  quite 
freely  during  the  past  four  years,  through  the  general  selling  agents,  W.  &  J. 
Sloane,  of  New  York  city,  who  have  opened  an  office  and  established  a  per- 
manent representative  in  London.  In  connection  with  the  recent  coronation 
services  of  the  czar  of  Russia,  it  should  be  mentioned  that  two  thousand  five 
hundred  yards  of  the  company's  goods  were  laid  in  the  palace  at  Moscow, 
and  this  has  recently  been  followed  up  by  orders  for  several  patterns  for  the 
private  rooms  of  the  empress  of  Russia. 

Upon  the  death  of  Alexander  Smith,  Warren  B.  Smith,  his  only  son, 
was  elected  president  (resigning  the  office  of  treasurer),  in  January,  1879, 
which  office  he  held  until  January  i,  1894,  when  he  resigned.  Mr.  Smith  is 
a  practical  carpet  man  in  every  respect,  as  he  applied  himself  to  acquiring 
his  knowledge  by  going  into  many  of  the  mill  departments  and  working  as 
any  other  employe  might.  The  present  magnitude  and  success  of  the  works 
are  largely  due  to  his  energy  and  push'.  Mr.  Smith  is  also  largely  interested 
in  real  estate  in  Yonkers.  During  the  last  three  years  he  has  devoted  much 
time  to  traveling.  His  home  is  still  in  Yonkers,  and  his  residence  is  beauti- 
fully located  at  Hillcrest. 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  727 


NATHANIEL  CUTLER. 

One  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  North  Castle  township,  Westchester 
county,  and  an  honored  veteran  of  the  civil  war,  is  Nathaniel  Cutler,  who 
was  born  December  21,  1844,  in  that  township,  being  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  county's  old  and  highly  respected  families  of  English  origin.  His 
grandfather,  John  Cutler,  was  likewise  a  native  of  the  county,  and  here  both 
he  and  his  wife  died  and  were  buried. 

Nathaniel  Cutler,  Sr.,  father  of  our  subject,  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Westchester  county,  as  a  farmer,  and  in  early  manhood  he  married  Sarah 
Ann  Weeks,  who  was  born  in  the  town  of  Somers,  and  who  was  likewise  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  county,  being  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Rachel  Weeks.  Nine  children  were  born  of  this  union:  John, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years;  Cornelius  and  Mrs.  Ama  Ferguson, 
both  residents  of  Mount  Kisco;  Cyrus,  of  Golden  Bridge,  this  county; 
George  Washington,  of  Dutchess  county.  New  York;  Stephen  and  Julia, 
both  deceased;  Nathaniel,  our  subject;  and  Araminta,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years.  Three  of  the  sons  were  among  the  boys  in  blue  during  the 
civil  war  and  valiantly  fought  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  on  many  a 
southern  battle-field.  They  were  Cyrus,  George  W.  and  Nathaniel, — all 
members  of  the  Fifth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery, — and  the  second  was  ser- 
geant of  his  company,  while  our  subject  served  as  corporal.  The  mother  of 
these  children  died  at  the  age  of  seventy  and  the  father  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  Both  were  consistent  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  were  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  them,  and  he  was  identified  with 
the  Democratic  party. 

Nathaniel  Cutler,  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch,  grew  to  manhood 
on  the  home  farm,  aiding  in  its  work  and  attending  the  local  schools.  He 
was  still  in  his  'teens  when  he  entered  the  military  service  of  his  country,  and 
was  stationed  most  of  the  time  in  Virginia,  being  honorably  discharged  at 
Harper's  Ferry  and  paid  off  at  Albany,  New  York,  after  which  he  returned 
home. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1870,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Martha  Ida  Sutton,  who  was  born,  reared  and  educated  at  Claverack,  New 
York,  and  also  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  and  well  known  families  of  the 
county.  At  an  early  day  two  brothers,  Joseph  and  John  Sutton,  left  their 
home  at  Sutton  Court,  England,  and  came  to  the  New  World,  and  from  the 
former,  who  settled  in  Westchester  county,  Mrs.  Cutler  is  descended.  In 
rehgious  faith  they  were  Friends.  James  Sutton,  Sr. ,  the  son  of  Joseph, 
was  born  in  a  log  cabin  on  the  old  homestead  in  this  county,  and  was  the 
father  of  Walter  Sutton,  Mrs.  Cutler's  grandfather,  who  also  was  born  on  the 


728  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

old  homestead  and  was  twice  married, — first  to  Martha  Tatten  and  secondly 
to  Phoebe  Dickinson.  James  T.  Sutton,  Mrs.  Cutler's  father,  first  opened 
his  eyes  to  the  light  on  the  Sutton  homestead,  and  on  reaching  man's  estate 
he  married  his  second  cousin,  Phoebe  Sutton,  a  daughter  of  William  Sutton, 
who  was  a  brother  of  James  Sutton,  Sr. ,  and  a  son  of  Joseph  Sutton,  the 
pioneer.  William  Sutton  married  Charlotte  Hunt,  a  daughter  of  Josiah  and 
Lydia  (Palmer)  Hunt,  relatives  of  Lord  Effingham,  of  England.  To  James 
T.  and  Phoebe  Sutton  were  born  two  children.  Mrs.  Martha  Ida  Cutler  being 
the  older.  The  son,  William  Edward  Sutton,  now.  a  resident  of  Seattle, 
Washington,  was  reared  and  educated  in  Westchester  county,  and  was  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  here  for  a  time,  but  has  made  his  home  in  the  west  for  sev- 
eral years.  He  married  Eva  Acker,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  Acker.  James 
T.  Sutton,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  a  Democrat  in  politics,  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
His  estimable  wife,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  departed 
this  life  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cutler  have  been  born  two  sons:  Walter  Sutton,  a 
surveyor  and  engineer  residing  at  home,  and  William  Edward,  a  carpenter, 
also  at  home.  The  fine  farm  belonging  to  this  worthy  couple  comprises 
seventy-two  acres  of  valuable  land,  most  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  well  improved  with  good  buildings,  and  there  is  also  an 
excellent  orchard  of  six  acres  upon  the  place.  This  pleasant  home  is  con- 
veniently located  in  New  Castle  township,  about  two  miles  from  Mount 
Kisco.  Politically,  Mr.  Cutler  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party,  and 
socially  affiliates  with  Stuart  Hart  Post,  G.  A.  R. ,  of  Mount  Kisco,  of  which 
he  is  a  charter  member.  With  his  wife  and  son,  William  E.,  he  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  the  family  occupy  a  position 
of  prominence  in  the  social  life  of  the  community.  Public-spirited  and  enter- 
prising, they  give  their  support  to  all  worthy  objects  calculated  to  advance 
the  moral,  intellectual  or  material  welfare  of  their  town  and  county,  and  they 
are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know  them. 


WILLIAM  V.  MOLLOY. 


Since  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Molloy  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  pub- 
lic affairs  in  Westchester  county.  He  was  long  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  business  men,  and  as  a  public  official  has  demonstrated  his  loyalty  to 
the.  best  interests  of  the  community  by  his  faithful  service.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  well  known  firm  of  Molloy  Brothers,  general  contractors,  until 
about  1895,  and  is  now  serving  as  sheriff  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Molloy  was  born  in  Fleetwood,  now  a  part  of  Mount  Vernon,  New 


^^^^ 


/ 


'^^^y-y-^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  729 

York,  in  1856,  and  when  four  months  old  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  a  farm 
near  New  Rochelle,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  His  strong  force  of 
character,  natural  bravery  and  resolution  have  naturally  made  him  a  leader 
of  men,  and  when  only  twenty  years  of  age  he  became  the  head  of  an  organ- 
ized vigilance  committee  that  broke  up  a  gang  of  burglars  in  New  Rochelle. 
Later  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  Glen  Island  detective  force,  and  in  many 
other  matters  of  moment  his  opinions  and  example  carried  great  weight. 
Throughout  his  business  career  he  was  identified  with  works  of  public 
improvement  and  progress,  being  engaged  in  the  construction  of  railroads  and 
sewer  systems.  The  firm  of  MoUoy  Brothers  took  large  contracts  in  those 
lines  of  building,  and  their  excellent  workmanship  and  well  known  reliability 
secured  them  a  liberal  and  lucrative  patronage.  They  took  the  contract  for 
laying  the  sewers  in  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  also  in  New  Rochelle,  and  did 
a  large  amount  of  work  on  the  arches  spanning  the  New  York,  New  Haven 
&  Hartford  Railroad,  at  New  Rochelle.  They  made  the  excavation  and  did 
all  of  the  work  for  the  Rochelle  Park  for  the  Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, at  New  Rochelle;  took  the  contract  for  laying  the  mains  of  the  water 
works  in  Westchester;  did  all  the  work  at  the  Country  Club  grounds,  and  laid 
the  water  mains  in  New  Rochelle.  They  also  executed  contracts  on  many 
other  public  works,  employing  only  competent  workmen,  and  by  their  per- 
sonal oversight  were  assured  that  the  work  was  thoroughly  and  carefully 
done.  In  matters  of  business  William  V.  Molloy  is  a  man  of  great  energy, 
push  and  enterprise,  and  as  a  result  of  his  executive  ability  and  careful  man- 
agement has  won  a  gratifying  success. 

His  attention  has  been  divided  between  his  private  business  interests 
and  his  public  duties,  and  in  both  commercial  and  political  circles  he  is 
widely  known.  He  was  one  of  the  company  who  acted  as  escort  to  James 
G.  Blaine  when  the  Maine  statesman  made  a  tour  through  the  country  while 
a  candidate  for  the  presidency.  In  1884  he  was  elected  excise  commissioner 
and  held  that  office  for  three  years.  During  the  last  year  of  his  service  he 
was  also  assessor  of  the  town  of  New  Rochelle,  to  which  office  he  was  elected 
in  1886  for  a  three-years  term.  He  discharged  his  duties  with  such  marked 
abihty  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1889,  but  in  1890  he  was  elected  supervisor. 
Again  he  held  two  offices  at  the  same  time,  but  soon  he  resigned  his  position 
as  assessor;  yet,  before  the  expiration  of  his  term  as  supervisor,  to  which  he 
was  re-elected  in  1891,  he  was  appointed  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  post- 
master. In  the  fall  of  1891  he  was  unanimously  nominated  at  the  Repub- 
ilican  convention  for  representative  of  the.  Westchester  district  in  the  general 
assembly,  his  opponent  being  ex-Congressman  Ryan,  of  Port  Chester.  He 
was  at  that  time  laying  the  sewers  of  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  under  con- 
tract, and  in  consequence,  not  being  able  to  enter  the  campaign,  was  obliged 


730  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

to  decline  the  nomination.  In  1892  he  was  the  Republican  nominee  for 
county  register,  but  though  defeated  in  the  Cleveland  tidal  wave  by  William 
J.  Graney,  of  Dobbs  Ferry,  he  ran  several  hundred  votes  ahead  of  his  ticket. 
During  his  service  as  postmaster,  to  which  office  he  was  appointed  by  Presi- 
dent Harrison,  in  February,  1893,  he  developed  the  free-delivery  system, 
which  had  been  established  by  his  immediate  predecessor.  To  him  is  due 
the  excellent  service  which  the  town  now  enjoys.  His  time  expired  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1897,  but  President  Cleveland  allowed  him  to  hold  over  twenty  days 
before  appointing  his  successor,  Charles  H.  McQuirk.  The  senate  failing  to 
confirm  this  appointment,  President  McKinley  re-appointed  Mr.  Molloy  for  a 
four-years  term,  beginning  in  May,  1897.  In  November  of  that  year  he  was 
the  Republican  candidate  for  sheriff  of  Westchester  county  and  was  elected 
over  J.  J.  Broderick,  of  Yonkers,  by  a  majority  of  seven  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  votes.  With  the  exception  of  the  coroner  he  was  the  only  man  elected 
on  the  ticket,  a  fact  which  indicates  his  personal  popularity  and  the  high 
regard  and  confidence  reposed  in  him.  He  entered  upon  the  duties  of  that 
office  and  sent  in  his  resignation  as  postmaster  of  New  Rochelle,  but  the 
government  failed  to  release  him  until  May,  1898,  so  that  he  was  again  hold- 
ing two  offices  at  the  same  time.  He  is  now  acceptably  serving  as  sheriff, 
and  temporarily  resides  in  White  Plains,  although  he  still  regards  New 
Rochelle  as  his  home. 

Mr.  Molloy  has  ever  been  most  prompt  and  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  his  official  duties,  and  this  has  won  him  the  commendation  of  men  of  all 
parties.  For  three  years  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  com- 
mittee of  Westchester  county,  and  his  sagacity  and  managerial  ability  con- 
tributed not  a  little  to  the  strength  of  his  party.  At  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition  in  Chicago,  in  1893,  Mr.  Molloy  was  chosen  as  a  member  of  the 
committee  on  agriculture  and  cereals.  He  is  a  man  of  splendid  business 
ability  and  large  capacity  in  the  management  of  extensive  and  varied  interests, 
and  thus  has  been  enabled  to  carry  on  contracting  successfully,  and  at  the 
same  time  take  an  active  part  in  public  affairs.  During  the  last  three  years, 
however,  he  has  not  followed  contracting.  Personally  he  is  a  man  of  fine 
physique,  tall  and  well  proportioned.  His  gentlemanly  appearance,  pleasant 
face  and  modest  manners  have  won  him  hundreds  of  friends,  and  his  acquaint- 
ance is  widely  extended  in  the  east. 


NORTON  P.   OTIS. 


Norton  Prentiss  Otis  was  born  in  Halifax,  Vermont,  March  18,  1840,  a 

son  of  Elisha  G.  and  Susan  A.  (Houghton)  Otis.      His  father  died  in  1861, 

'and  his  mother  February  25,  1842.      He  received  his  early  training  and  edu- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  731 

cation  at  the  public  schools  in  Halifax,  Vermont,  Albany,  New  York,  and 
Hudson  City,  New  Jersey,  at  which  places  his  father  resided  at  different 
times,  and  on  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Yonkers  he  completed  his  studies 
at  district  school  No.  2,  of  this  city.  At  eighteen  years  of  age  he  entered  his 
father's  elevator  business,  then  in  its  infancy.  Upon  the  incorporation  oi 
Otis  Brothers  &  Company,  in  1867,  he  became  treasurer,  and  for  the  suc- 
ceeding ten  years  traveled  for  the  concern  throughout  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  introducing  passenger  and  freight  elevators. 

In  1877  he  married  Miss  Lizzie  A.  Fahs,  of  York,  Pennsylvania,  a  most 
estimable  and  accomplished  lady.  They  have  seven  children, — Charles 
Edwin,  Sidney,  Arthur  Houghton,  Norton  Prentiss,  Katherine  Lois,  Ruth 
Adelaide  and  James  Russell  Lowell. 

Mr.  Otis  has  always  been  actively  interested  in  the  religious,  social  and 
political  life  of  Yonkers,  and  has  filled  with  honor  many  offices  of  distinction 
in  these  several  departments,  and  is  identified  with  several  of  the  philan- 
thropic institutions  of  the  city.  For  years  he  has  been  vice-president  of  St. 
John's  Riverside  Hospital,  and  president  of  the  Charity  Organization  Society. 
All  that  concerns  the  welfare  of  Yonkers  concerns  Mr.  Otis,  and  he  has- 
always  been  ready  to  serve  the  city  of  which  he  is  an  honored  resident. 

Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has  always  sustained  the  party  and 
its  principles.  In  the  spring  of  1880  he  was  nominated  for  mayor  and 
elected  by  a  large  majority.  During  his  administration  many  important  and 
valuable  changes  were  made  in  the  various  departments  of  the  city.  The 
fire  department  was  reorganized,  the  system  of  public-school  management 
was  changed  and  greatly  advanced  in  efficiency  (Mr.  Otis  appointing  the  first 
school  board  under  the  consolidated  system),  the  water-works  were  largely 
augmented  by  the  introduction  of  new  and  improved  machinery,  and  with  all 
these  improvements,  brought  about  under  his  practical  business  administra- 
tion, when  he  retired  from  office  the  city's  debt  had  been  decreased  more 
than  seventy-five  thousand  dollars!  In  the  fall  of  1883  he  was  elected  to  the 
state  assembly,  in  a  district  overwhelmingly  Democratic.  While  in  the  state 
legislature  he  was  the  author  of  many  important  measures,  among  which 
were  those  relating  to  the  reduction  of  exorbitant  rates  of  fare  on  state  rail- 
roads, giving  towns  the  power  to  regulate  or  refuse  admission  to  excursion 
parties,  making  only  physicians  eligible  to  the  office  of  coroner,  etc.  The 
latter  bill,  however,  failed  to  pass  at  that  time,  on  account  of  constitutional 
objections.  Since  then  the  constitution  has  been  amended  and  the  essential 
elements  of  that  bill  are  now  the  law  of  the  state.  In  local  politics,  Mr. 
Otis  is  a  recognized  leader  of  opinion  among  the  best  elements  of  society. 
One  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Yonkers  said  of  him  recently:  "Mr. 
Otis  is  one  of  the  most  sagacious  and  honorable  men  that  we  have  to-day  in 


732  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

our  city.  Whatever  office  he  is  elected  to,  he  dignifies  and  discharges  its 
duties  with  the  utmost  skill,  reflecting  credit  upon  himself  and  adding 
materially  to  the  prosperity  and  comfort  of  the  community  he  serves;  dis- 
countenancing everything  that  savors  of  political  trickery  and  corruption,  he 
is  pre-eminently  qualified  to  serve  his  country  in  any  capacity. "  This  just 
criticism  of  the  man  is  fully  confirmed  by  his  past  record  both  in  official  and 
private  life. 

But  Mr.  Otis  is  not  only  a  factor  in  the  political  and  religious  life  of  the 
community;  he  is  also  a  highly  respected  and  valued  member  of  its  society. 
He  is  a  close  student  and  keeps  in  touch  with  the  best  thought  of  the  day. 
A  Christian  gentleman,  a  cultured  member  of  society,  a  vvise  and  successful 
business  man, — he  stands  as  a  representative  citizen,  honored  and  respected 
by  the  whole  community. 

In  1890.  upon  the  retirement  of  his  brother  from  business,  he  was 
elected  president  of  Otis  Brothers  &  Company,  which  position  he  still  holds. 

In  giving  a  brief  account  of  the  Otis  Brothers  &  Company's  Elevator 
Works,  we  may  first  state  that  the  company  are  the  foremost  builders  of 
passenger  and  freight  elevators  in  the  world.  It  would  not  be  possible  to 
give  a  history  of  the  great  industry  without  mentioning  the  founder. 

Elisha  Graves  Otis,  who  was  the  youngest  of  the  six  children  of  Stephen 
Otis,  and  was  born  August  13,  181 1,  was  the  inventor  of  the  modern  eleva- 
tor, which  has  done  so  much  for  modern  city  life  and  development.  Young 
Otis  lived  on  his  father's  farm  at  Halifax,  Vermont,  until  the  age  of  nineteen, 
when  he  left  for  Troy,  New  York.  In  the  latter  city  he  resided  five  years 
and  was  engaged  in  various  building  operations.  On  June  2,  1834,  he  was 
married  to  Susan  A.  Houghton,  of  Halifax.  She  was  the  mother  of  his  two 
sons,  Charles  R.  and  Norton  P.  Otis,  and  died  February  25,  1842.  In  1838 
Mr.  Otis  returned  to  Vermont  and  engaged  for  a  time  in  the  manufacture  of 
wagons  and  carriages.  He  continued  in  this  occupation  until  1845.  His 
second  wife  was  Mrs.  Betsey  A.  Boyd,  whom  he  married  in  August,  1846.  A 
little  later  he  removed  to  Albany  and  assumed  the  charge  of  the  construction 
of  machinery  in  a  large  manufacturing  establishment.  Four  years  later  he 
withdrew  from  this  employment  in  order  to  establish  works  of  his  own,  but 
was  compelled  eventually  to  give  up  this  undertaking.  We  next  find  him 
holding  the  position  of  mechanical  superintendent  of  a  furniture  manufactory 
at  Hudson  City,  New  Jersey.  In  1852,  this  establishment  was  removed  to 
Yonkers. 

Mr.  Otis  had  charge,  as  organizer  and  mechanical  superintendent,  of 
what  was  called  the  bedstead  factory  (foot  of  Vark  street,  subsequently  occu- 
pied by  the  New  York  Plow  Company),  and  also  superintended  the  erection 
of  a  part  of  the  buildings  at  Yonkers.     It  was  during  this  later  work  that  the 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  733 

idea  of  the  elevator  occurred  to  him.  The  story  of  his  invention  has  been 
told  as  follows:  During  the  building  and  equipment  of  this  factory  it  became 
necessary  to  construct  an  elevator  for  use  on  the  premises,  during  the  erec- 
tion of  which  Mr.  Otis  developed  some  original  devices,  the  most  important 
of  which  was  one  for  preventing  the  fall  of  the  platform  in  case  of  the  break- 
ing of  the  lifting  rope.  The  machine  attracted  the  attention  of  some  New 
York  manufacturers,  and  soon  afterward  he  secured  several  orders  for  eleva- 
tors to  go  to  that  city.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  elevator  business.  So 
successful  was  Mr.  Otis  in  the  manufacture  and  the  constant  improvement 
of  his  new  machine  that  he  was  obliged  to  withdraw  from  the  Bedstead 
Manufacturing  Company  and  confine  himself  entirely  to  the  construction  of 
elevators.  He  exhibited  his  new  elevator  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  London,  in 
185 1,  where  he  attracted  considerable  attention  by  running  the  elevator  car 
to  a  considerable  height  while  standing  upon  it  and  then  cutting  the  rope. 
The  car  did  not  fall,  and  by  thus  demonstrating  his  own  confidence  in  the 
usefulness  of  the  invention,  orders  for  the  machines  rapidly  increased.  Be- 
fore the  year  of  his  death  (1861),  he  had  built  up  an  extensive  business  and 
the  Otis  elevator  had  become  well  known.  In  addition  to  his  original  inven- 
tion, he  constantly  made  improvements  in  the  construction  of  the  elevator, 
and  was  also  the  inventor  of  many  important  mechanical  devices.  In  per- 
sonal character  Mr.  Otis  was  a  man  of  great  worth  and  integrity.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  this  city  and  was  also  a 
strong  anti-slavery  and  temperance  man.  From  1854  to  1858  from  five  to 
fifteen  men  were  employed,  and  the  foreman  was  Charles  R.  Otis,  his  eldest 
son. 

About  1859  or  i860,  Mr.  Elisha  G.  Otis  designed,  constructed  and  pat- 
ented an  independent  engine  capable  of  high  speed,  to  raise  or  lower  the 
platform  or  car.  This  hoisting  engine  marked  the  beginning  of  the  system 
of  steam  elevators.  In  i860  and  1861  Charles  R.  Otis  invented  and  patented 
many  important  improvements.  After  the  death  of  Elisha  G.  Otis  in  1861, 
the  Otis  Brothers — Charles  R.  and  Norton  P. — formed  a  partnership  for  the 
continuance  of  the  business.  The  beginning  of  the  civil  war  stimulated  trade 
in"  war  materials,  and  elevators  came  into  demand  for  various  business  houses. 
Attention  to  business  was  required,  and  both  brothers  gave  close  attention  to 
the  developing  industry.  Charles  R.  Otis  worked  throughout  the  day,  and 
sometimes  during  the  entire  night.  Both  sons  made  many  inventions  and 
improvements.  Norton  P.  Otis  spent  much  of  his  time  visiting  towns  and 
cities  throughout  the  country  introducing  the  elevator. 

In  1864  J.  M.  Alvord  had  become  a  partner,  and  the  company  was 
known  as  Otis  Brothers  &  Company.  In  1867  Mr.  Alvord  sold  his  interest 
to  the  Otis  Brothers,  after  which  a  stock  company  was  formed.      Charles  R, 


734  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Otis  was  made  president,  Norton  P.  Otis,  treasurer,  and  N.  H.  Stockweli, 
secretary.  Mr.  Stockweli  resigned  the  same  year,  and  J.  L.  Hubbard  became 
secretary.  The  manufactory,  at  the  corners  of  Woodworth,  Wells  and  Ra- 
vine avenues,  has  been  occupied  since  1868.  In  1872  business  had  increased 
to  such  an  extent  that  during  that  year  it  amounted  to  three  hundred  and 
ninety-three  thousand  dollars.  After  the  company  was  incorporated  the  busi- 
iness  continued  to  increase  rapidly  until,  in  1882,  it  was  established  on  a 
basis  of  over  six  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  rapidly  increasing.  In  June, 
1882,  the  brothers  retired,  selling  their  interest  to  a  syndicate  of  capitalists. 
Later  on  the  control  returned  to  them  again,  and  Charles  R.  was  made  presi- 
dent, which  position  he  held  until  1890,  when  he  retired,  and  since  then  his 
brother,  Norton  P.  Otis,  has  been  the  president  of  the  company.  The  offi- 
cers of  the  company  at  the  present  time  are:  President,  Norton  P.  Otis; 
vice  president  and  secretary,  Abraham  G.  Mills;  and  treasurer  and  general 
manager,  William  Delavan  Baldwin. 

Employment  is  given  in  this  city  to  about  five  hundred  men,  and  there 
is  a  constructing  force  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  constantly  engaged  in 
setting  up  elevators  throughout  the  country.  They  have  recently  perfected, 
an  electric  elevator.  The  company  has  adopted,  and  made  part  of  its  sys- 
tem, an  electric  motor,  invented  by  the  late  Rudolph  Eickemeyer,  of  this 
city.  Its  valuable  features  are  that  it  starts  and  stops  with  the  car,  thus 
economizing  power,  and  it  is  perfectly  under  the  control  of  the  operator. 
The  Otis  elevators  in  use  in  New  York  city  carry  daily  over  four  hundred 
thousand  passengers.  These  elevators  are  also  used  in  the  Eiffel  tower  at 
Paris,  Washington  monument  (D.  C),  Niagara  Falls  tower,  the  great  trestle 
used  by  the  Hudson  County  Railroad  at  Weehawken,  New  Jersey,  and  were 
used  in  the  great  manufactures  and  liberal  arts  building  at  the  World's  Fair 
of  1893  at  Chicago.  The)'  are  also  in  use  in  every  city  of  America,  every 
large  city  in  Europe,  and  in  South  America  and  Australia,  and  quite  a  num- 
ber in  Egypt  and  China.  The  Otis  Elevating  Railroad  in  the  Catskills, 
which  carries  passengers  up  an  incline  seven  thousand  feet  in  length  in  ten 
minutes,  saving  a  journey  by  stage  of  four  hours'  duration,  and  the  Prospect 
Mountain  Inclined  Railway  at  Lake  George,  were  built  by  this  company. 


WILLIAM  H.   HYLER. 


A  well  known  druggist  and  one  of  the  prominent  and  representative  busi- 
ness men  of  Port  Chester  is  William  H.  Hyler,  who  is  a  native  of  New  York 
city,  where  he  was  born  January  6,  1846,  a  son  of  Adonijah  Hyler,  who  spent 
his  entire  life  in  the  metropolis  as  an  extensive  contractor  and  builder.  The 
father  also  owned  a  large  lumber-yard  and  a  sash  and  blind  factory  on  125th 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  735 

street,  and  met  with  a  well  merited  success  in  his  undertakings,  continuing 
to  be  actively  engaged  in  business  until  a  short  time  before  his  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  eighty-six  years  of  age.  He  was  truly  a  self-made 
man,  for  he  began  life  for  himself  without  capital  or  the  aid  of  influential 
friends,  and  he  not  only  gained  a  handsome  competence,  but  by  his  upright 
and  honorable  career  won  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  The  Hyler  family  was  founded  in  America  by  three 
brothers,  natives  of  Germany,  among  whom  was  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject.  The  grandfather  was  born  in  New  York  city,  but  when  a  young 
man  he  removed  to  Albany,  New  York,  and  there  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  until  his  death.  Our  subject's  mother  was  Catherine  Ann  Paris,  of 
New  York,  who  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years,  leaving  one  son  and 
six  daughters.  She  was  a  prominent  and  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist 
church. 

Reared  in  New  York,  William  H.  Hyler  began  his  education  in  the  125th 
street  public  school,  and  later  attended  Patterson's  private  academy.  Soon 
after  leaving  the  latter  institution  he  began  clerking  in  a  tea  broker's  office, 
where  he  remained  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war.  In  February, 
1862,  he  enlisted  as  landsman  private  in  the  United  States  Navy,  and  the 
vessel  to  which  he  was  assigned  formed  a  part  of  the  Atlantic  squadron,  but 
it  afterward  went  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  was  given  up  as  lost.  Before  his 
term  expired  Mr.  Hyler  was  discharged  on  account  of  physical  disability 
caused  by  exposure,  but  after  remaining  at  home  a  short  time  he  re-enlisted, 
December  5,  1864,  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-ninth  New  York  Volunteer 
Infantry,  as  private,  and  was  sent  to  Hart  Island.  He  was  on  specialty  duty 
in  taking  soldiers  to  the  field  and  bringing  back  rebel  prisoners  for  two  or 
three  months,  and  then  rejoined  his  regiment,  going  from  Washington,  D. 
C,  to  Virginia.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  mustered  out  at  Augusta, 
Georgia,  and  returned  home. 

Mr.  Hyler  then  entered  Packard's  Business  College,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  the  same  class  as  General  E.  A.  McAlpin,  late  assistant  adjutant-gen- 
eral of  the  state  of  New  York.  In  1867  Mr.  Hyler  went  to  Bridgeport,  Con- 
necticut, where  he  clerked  for  some  time  in  the  drug  store  of  his  brother-in- 
law,  C.  G.  Pendleton,  and  then  attended  the  College  of  Pharmacy,  New 
York,  graduating  at  that  institution  in  1869,  after  which  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion in  the  drug  store  of  George  C.  Close,  of  Brooklyn,  who  was  president  of 
the  college.  Coming  to  Port  Chester  in  1872,  Mr.  Huyler  has  made  his  home 
here  continuously  since,  and  previously  to  1876  engaged  in  the  drug  business 
in  the  old  building  now  occupied  by  William  J.  Foster's  ice-cream  factory. 
For  a  short  time  he  engaged  in  business  in  the  store  occupied  by  John  Reid, 
.but  removed  to  the  Centennial  building  on  its  completion,  April  i,  1876,  and 


736  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

has  since  carried  on  operations  there  with  most  gratifying  success,  building 
up  a  large  and  lucrative  trade. 

Mr.  Hyler  married  Miss  Carrie  E.  Sniffin,  of  Port  Chester,  and  to  them 
were  born  two  children:  Carrie  Frances,  now  the  wife  of  W.  D.  Lippincott; 
and  E.  Agnes,  at  home. 

In  1873  Mr.  Hyler  joined  the  Harry  Howard  Hook  &  Ladder  Company, 
and  was  honored  by  his  comrades  by  an  election  as  assistant  foreman,  serv- 
ing in  that  capacity  for  two  years,  and  later  as  foreman  for  three  years.  He 
also  joined  Company  I,  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  National  Guards,  State  of 
New  York,  and  was  elected  first  lieutenant,  being  commissioned  by  Governor 
S.  T.  Tilden.  On  the  resignation  of  Captain  Charles  J.  Chatfield  he  was 
made  commanding  officer  and  served  as  such  for  two  years.  He  had  com- 
mand of  the  company  at  the  time  of  the  great  railroad  riots,  as  Captain 
Chatfield  was  unable  to  leave  the  village.  Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, and  for  four  years  most  acceptably  served  as  postmaster  at  Port  Ches- 
ter, under  Harrison's  administration.  In  1878  he  was  elected  coroner,  and 
so  satisfactorily  did  he  perform  the  duties  of  that  office  that  he  was  elected 
for  a  second  term  three  years  later.  He  became  a  member  of  Charles  Law- 
rence Post,  G.  A.  R. ,  on  its  organization,  served  as  its  commander  several 
terms,  has  been  honored  by  an  appointment  on  the  staff  of  the  department 
commander,  and  now  holds  the  position  of  post  quartermaster.  He  also 
belongs  to  Mamaro  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Wappannoco  Tribe,  I.  O.  R.  M. ; 
Court  Poningoe,  O.  F.  A. ;  Port  Chester  Council,  R.  A. ;  and  the  Firemen's 
Benevolent  Fund  Association.  For  six  years  he  has  served  as  school  director, 
has  been  vestryman  of  St.  Peter's  church  several  years,  and  at  present  is  one 
of  the  trustees  of  the  Free  Library  and  Reading  Room,  and  also  one  of  the 
trustees  of  public  lands.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  public  affairs  in  the  village,  and  he  has  always  been  found 
true  and  faithful  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him. 


J.   CLARENCE  SMITH. 


J.  Clarence  Smith,  an  enterprising  young  business  man  of  Mount  Ver- 
non, Westchester  county,  resides  at  No.  98  West  Lincoln  avenue.  He  was 
born  in  Orange  county,  New  York,  in  the  village  of  Mount  Hope,  October 
24,  1863,  his  parents' being  WiUiam  and  Margeret  (Niver)  Smith.  Jesse 
Smith,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  lived  on  Long  Island  in  his 
early  life  and  followed  the  occupation  of  farming,  as  had  his  father,  Wessel 
Smith,  before  him.  Jesse  Smith  served  in  the  war  of  181 2,  and  was  after- 
ward granted  a  pension.  When  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  unmar- 
ried, he  went  to  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Hope  and   taught  school   for   several 


^>^'<*^i:^^ 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  737 

years.  There  he  married  and  had  six  children,  namely:  Jesse,  Jr.,  Will- 
iam, Emeline,  Charles,  Sallie  and  Arminta.  He  died  at  the  advanced  age 
of  ninety-two  years,  and  his  wife  was  three-score  and  ten  at  the  time  of  her 
demise.  Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  for  a  period  was  a  justice  of 
the  peace.  In  the  Baptist  church  he  was  considered  quite  a  leader,  and 
for  his  day  he  was  a  man  of  exceptionally  good  education  and  general  attain- 
ments. 

William  Smith,  mentioned  above,  was  born  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Mount  Hope  and  was  a  graduate  of  Ridgebury  Academy.  He  met  with  a 
serious  accident  when  he  was  about  seventeen,  a  tree  falling  upon  him.  The 
doctors  insisted  that  his  leg  should  be  amputated,  but  he  fought  their  deci- 
sion and  would  not  permit  the  operation  to  be  performed.  It  was  fully  two 
years  ere  he  regained  the  use  of  the  injured  member,  and  afterward,  when 
he  presented  himself  as  a  volunteer  for  the  Union  service,  he  was  rejected 
on  account  of  his  partially  crippled  state.  He  taught  school  for  a  number 
of  years  in  his  home  district,  and  later,  at  North  Moreland,  Pennsylvania, 
for  some  three  or  four  years.  He  followed  the  same  calling  in  Centerton, 
Huron  county,  Ohio,  several  years.  He  was  married,  for  the  first  time,  in 
Ohio,  bringing  his  wife  to  the  old  homestead  in  Orange  county.  New  York, 
where  she  died  in  1869.  The  remains  were  taken  to  her  Ohio  home  for 
burial.  In  1877  he  sold  his  Orange  county  property  and  settled  in  New 
York  city,  where  he  resided  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  November,  1884, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  While  living  in  the  city  he  was  engaged  in 
the  novelty  business  for  a  few  years.  He  was  a  Democrat,  and  while  in 
Orange  county  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  time.  He  had  but  two  chil- 
dren,— J.  Clarence,  and  Alice,  Mrs.  Theodore  Green,  of  Mount  Vernon.  He 
died  in  New  York  city  in  1882,  and  was  taken  to  Otisville,  Orange  county, 
for  burial. 

The  education  of  J.  Clarence  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of 
Mount  Hope  and  New  York.  Just  before  the  time  for  his  graduation  he 
embarked  in  business  life  as  a  clerk  at  No.  229  Broadway,  New  York.  He 
remained  there  for  a  year  and  then  clerked  for  two  years  in  a  tea  and  coffee 
store  on  Greenwich  street,  which  position  he  left  when  seventeen  years  of 
age,  going  to  Greenwich,  Ohio,  where  he  established  a  small  tea  and  coffee 
business,  which  was  not  successful. 

Returning  to  New  York  a  year  later,  chagrinned  at  his  failure  and  dis- 
gusted with  that  line  of  business,  he  secured  employment  from  a  firm  in  New 
York  city  doing  a  retail  business  in  milk,  cream  and  other  dairy  products, 
where  by  close  economy  and  strict  attention  to  business  he  was  enabled, 
after  two  years,  to  buy  a  half  interest  in  a  small  milk  route  in  Mott  Haven, 

New  York  city.     A  little   more   age  and  experience,  together  with  the  con- 
47 


738  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

stant  thought  of  his  first  unsuccessful  effort,  made  him  determined  that  this 
venture  should  not  fail.  The  business  prospered,  and  after  six  years,  during 
which  time  it  had  increased  to  five  routes,  Mr.  Smith,  seeing  the  great  oppor- 
tunities offered  to  an  enterprising  business  in  Mount  Vernon,  then  a  town  of 
about  six  thousand,  but  destined  to  be,  as  it  is  to-day,  a  city  of  homes, 
decided  to  sell  out  and  locate  there,  which  he  did  in  1890,  forming  a  co-part- 
nership with  A.  W.  Halstead  and  establishing  the  Willow  Brook  Dairy, 
'vvhich  has  become  a  household  word  in  Mount  Vernon.  In  1896  a  branch 
•was  established  in  New  Rochelle,  and  in  1897  the  Willow  Brook  creamery 
was  built  by  the  firm  at  Merwinsville,  Connecticut,  in  the  famous  Housatonic 
valley,  where  the  grass  and  pure  spring  water  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  pre- 
: serving  in  milk  a  quality  and  flavor  unsurpassed  by  any  other  section.  The 
iplant  is  a  model  of  its  kind,  having  perfect  natural  drainage  and  pure  spring 
water  piped  to  all  parts  of  the  building,  which  is  constructed  on  the  most 
approved  scientific  plans  for  convenience  and  cleanliness,  and  health  boards 
and  dairy  inspectors  who  have  visited  the  establishment  have  no  hesitancy  in 
{pronouncing  its  equipment  and  the  methods  there  employed  second  to  none. 
Here  at  the  present  time  are  received  daily  over  twelve  thousand  pounds  of 
■milk,  the  greater  portion  of  which  is  put  up  in  glass  jars  and  shipped  to 
Mount  Vernon  and  New  Rochelle.  This  firm  was  one  of  the  first  to  demon- 
strate the  necessity,  in  these  days  of  bacteria,  microbes  and  disease  germs, 
of  employing  centrifugal  force  to  prevent  their  growth  in  milk.  That  this 
method  is  successful  is  proven  by  the  uniform  quality  and  fine  flavor  of  milk 
so  treated,  at  all  seasons  and  regardless  of  climatic  changes.  The  firm  is 
now  running  ten  retail  wagons  and  employ  twenty  men,  doing  a  business  of 
over  eighty  thousand  dollars  per  annum.  Mr.  Smith  has  devoted  a  great 
deal  of  time  and  serious  study  to  the  matter  of  rendering  the  products  which 
he  buys  and  sells  absolutely  pure.  The  results  of  the  labor  and  money 
which  he  has  invested  in  perfecting  the  processes  used  in  his  various  plants 
are  most  satisfactory,  and  he  now  stands  at  the  head  of  the  live,  energetic 
men  whose  duty  it  is  to  supply  the  people  of  the  great  cities  adjacent  with 
pure,  wholesome  milk  and  dairy  products.  While  the  state  board  of  health 
requires  three  per  cent,  of  butter-fat  in  milk,  an  average  of  four  and  a  half 
per  cent,  is  to  be  found  in  the  milk  handled  by  this  firm. 

August  10,  1885,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Minnie  J.  Carey,  and  they 
have  two  sons,  William  Carey  and  Leland  Clarence.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  J.  M.  Carey,  a  retired  physician  of  Elmira,  New  York.  He  has 
been  a  very  prominent  man  in  his  profession  and  was  a  member  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania legislature  some  years  ago,  being  elected  to  represent  Wyoming 
county.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  civil  war,  enlisted  as  a  private,  and  was  pro- 
moted for  gallant  conduct  to  be  captain  of  his  company.      He  was  wounded 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  739 

at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  but  later  rejoined  his  regiment  and  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war  in  a  cavalry  regiment,  which  did  good  service  at 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg  and  other  important  engagements.  He  now  receives 
a  pension  for  his  brave  and  loyal  support  of  the  Union  in  its  time  of  need. 
Some  of  his  ancestors  suffered  in  the  dreadful  Wyoming  massacre. 


ULRIC  XAVIER  GRIFFIN. 

The  Griffin  family  is  an  old  and  honored  one  in  America.  The  progeni- 
tors of  the  American  branch  came  from  England  more  than  two  hundred 
years  ago.  Francis  Griffin,  grandfather  of  Ulric  Xavier  Griffin,  was  a  native 
of  New  York  city  and  became  eminent  as  a  lawyer,  and  was  for  many  years 
at  the  head  of  the  celebrated  Wall  street  law  firm  of  Francis  Griffin  &  Com- 
pany. He  married  Mary  Sands,  a  daughter  of  an  old  family  of  prominence, 
and  she  bore  him  three  sons  and  two  daughters:  Edward  Dorr  Griffin,  of 
whom  more  will  be  said  later;  Charles  Griffin,  well  known  as  a  civil  engineer; 
George,  now  retired  from  business  pursuits;  Theresa,  wife  of  General  Velie, 
of  New  York  city;  and  Emily  Seaton,  who  married  Colonel  Lyneviet,  of  the 
German  army  and  lives  at  Dresden.  Edward  Dorr  Griffin  received  a  liberal 
education  in  the  United  States  and  Germany.  He  was  educated  for  the  law 
but  never  practiced  his  profession,  preferring  to  live  the  life  of  a  private 
gentleman  at  New  Rochelle.  He  married  Elizabeth  Hicks  and  in  course  of 
time  the  elegant  Hicks  homestead  came  into  his  possession  and  was  his  home 
until  his  death.  He  had  five  children,  of  whom  Ulric  Xavier  was  the  last 
born,  February  21,  1862.  Francis,  the  eldest,  is  a  prominent  lawyer  of 
Brooklyn.  Richard  has  attained  standing  as  an  actor.  Charles  is  a  popular 
physician.      Julia  became  Mrs.  Wheeler. 

Ulric  Xavier  Griffin  was  educated  at  Fordham  College.  Immediately 
after  his  graduation  at  that  institution  in  1878  he  took  up  politics  and  at 
once  became  active  as  a  worker  for  the  success  of  the  Republican  party. 
But,  prominent  as  he  grew  to  be  in  local  political  councils,  he  was  not  an 
office-seeker,  nor  did  he  accept  any  one  of  the  several  offered  him  for  the 
taking  until,  some  years  ago,  with  the  interests  of  the  village  foremost  in  his 
mind,  he  consented  to  become  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  New 
Rochelle.  Under  the  city  organization  he  was,  in  1897,  nominated  by  the 
Repubhcans  and  endorsed  by  the  Democrats  for  alderman  from  the  second 
ward.  He  was  elected  practically  without  opposition  and  re-elected  in  the 
same  manner  in  1899.  Mr.  Griffin  has  been  a  model  alderman,  and  a  board 
composed  of  such  aldermen  would  put  any  city  in  the  country  on  a  high 
place  politically  and  morally.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  more  men  of  his 
ability  and  sterling  honesty  cannot  be  induced  to  take  an  active  interest  in 


740  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

municipal  affairs.  He  has  made  his  influence  felt  as  a  delegate  to  conven- 
tions year  after  year,  and  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  health  has  been  of 
great  service  to  the  city.  He  has  "  served  his  time  "  in  the  fire  department 
as  a  member  of  Huguenot  Engine  company  and  is  now  an  exempt  fireman. 
His  liking  for  sports  afield  and  astream  has  made  him  a  member  of  the 
National  Sportsmen's  Association.  He  is  a  member. of  the  Knights  of  Co- 
lumbus and  of  other  leading  secret  and  social  organizations.  Mr.  Griffin  was 
married  May  28,  1883,  to  Margaret  Day,  a  woman  of  many  accomplishments, 
who  has  borne  him  four  children:      Lilian,  Malvern,  Francis  and   Olive. 

Mr.  Griffin  is  one  of  New  Rochelle's  most  public-spirited  and  helpful 
citizens  and  has  always  given  freely  of  his  time  and  means  to  advance  every 
deserving  local  interest.  He  is  one  of  the  few  men  who  have  had  to  do  with 
the  municipal  affairs  of  the  little  city  who  have  had  the  time  to  study  the 
city's  needs  and  to  lead  in  the  work  of  supplying  them,  and  his  influence  is  of 
a  character  that  renders  it  indispensable  when  the  public  good   is  considered. 


CHARLES  W.  CARPENTER. 

Charles  W.  Carpenter,  proprietor  of  Sunnyside  Farm,  near  Jefferson 
Valley  post  office,  Westchester  county,  is  one  of  the  best-known  agri- 
culturists of  this  county.  He  has  been  a  life-long  resident  within  its  borders, 
and  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  the  old  family  homestead  at  Shrub  Oak, 
September  18,  1855.  His  father,  John  W.  Carpenter,  was  born  in  the  same 
house,  thirty-six  years  previously,  in  18 19,  and  passed  his  entire  life  in  that 
neighborhood.  He  died  when  in  his  seventy-third  year,  October  16,  1891, 
mourned  by  those  who  had  been  closely  associated  with  him  in  business  and 
social  relations.  His  wife,  Eliza,  the  daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary 
(Baker)  Horton,  died  in  October,  1892. 

Among  the  oldest  and  most  prominent  residents  of  Shrub  Oak  was  John 
Wilson  Carpenter,  who  was  born  January  7,  18 17.  His  parents  were 
Walter  Carpenter  and  Ann  nee  Summerbell.  His  paternal  ancestors  were 
from  the  north  of  England,  while  his  maternal  were  Scotch.  John  Wilson 
Carpenter  received  a  common-school  education.  Much  of  his  life  was  spent 
on  his  farm  at  Shrub  Oak.  He  was  also  for  a  number  of  years  proprietor 
of  the  Carpenter  House,  at  Lake  Mahopac,  where  he  spent  the  summer 
months.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  a  progressive  and  enterprising  citizen.  He 
represented  his  town  (Yorktown  township)  in  the  board  of  supervisors  dur- 
ing the  years  1877-80.  He  was  married  November  22,  1850,  to  Eliza 
Horton,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary  (Baker)  Horton,  and  by  their  union 
they  had  three  children:  Charles  W.,  Walter  and  Jennie.  The  last  named 
resides  with  her  brother,  Walter,  at  Lake  Mahopac. 


^<r7^T>^     ^Z*  /j  OJX^ a^pz/i^ 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  741 

In  his  youth  Charles  W.  Carpenter  mastered  the  various  departments  of 
farm  work  and  became  proficient  in  the  three  "R's"  and  other  branches  of 
learning  taught  in  the  district  schools  of  the  period.  He  concluded  to  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  ancestors  in  the  choice  of  an  occupation,  and  the 
prosperity  which  has  crowned  his  efforts  proves  the  wisdom  of  his  decision 
in  this  important  matter.  About  two  decades  ago  he  purchased  the  beauti- 
ful farm  where  he  is  still  living.  This  property  comprises  two  hundred  and 
fifteen  acres,  suitable  for  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  The  fine  large 
barns  and  dairy-rooms  are  among  the  most  notable  features  of  the  place, 
everything  being  kept  in  excellent  condition.  The  barn  has  box-stalls  for 
the  accommodation  of  forty  horses,  and  the  owner  justly  prides  himself 
on  several  of  his  fine  horses,  which  occupy  the  said  stalls.  In  fact, 
Sunnyside  Farm  is  one  of  the  best  stocked  farms  in  the  county,  and  over  its 
pleasant  green  pastures  large  droves  of  high-grade  Holstein  cattle  roam  at 
will.  The  farm  is  located  about  seven  miles  from  Peekskill  and  is  an  ideal 
country  seat  in  every  respect.  The  proprietor  is  a  practical  farmer  and  uses 
good  judgment  in  the  management  of  all  of  his  business  affairs.  He  is  broad- 
minded  and  liberal  upon  all  questions  and  uses  his  franchise  independent  of 
party  ties. 

On  the  17th  of  April,  1887,  Mr.  Carpenter  was  married  in  New  York 
city,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Viola  Hart,  daughter  of  John  C.  Hart, 
who  for  many  years  was  a  successful  merchant  of  New  York  city  and  is  now 
deceased.  His  wife,  Mary  Ann,  was  a  daughter  of  Stephen  Allen,  who  was 
mayor  of  that  metropolis  in  the  early  days.  Religiously,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Car- 
penter attend  the  Shrub  Oak  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  Mrs. 
Carpenter  is  a  consistent  member.  They  contribute  liberally  of  their  means 
to  the  support  of  the  church  and  kindred  organizations.  Their  hospitality 
and  generosity  are  matters  of  comment  among  their  numerous  friends  and 
acquaintances,  and  all  who  know  them  are  their  well-wishers. 


JOHN  ROMER. 


Captain  John  Romer,  the  last  surviving  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  living 
in  the  town  of  Greenburg,  died  in  1855,  aged  ninety-one  years.  He  was  the 
youngest  of  five  brothers,  sons  of  Jacob  Romer  and  Trena  ne'e  Horlocker, 
who  came  from  Switzerland  and  after  their  marriage  in  the  old  Dutch  church 
in  Sleepy  Hollow,  in  1759,  settled  at  what  is  now  known  as  East  View,  near 
Tarrytown.  It  was  at  this  house  that  the  seven  captors  of  Major  Andre  ob- 
tained their  breakfast  and  had  a  lunch  prepared  by  Mrs.  Romer  and  placed 
in  a  pewter  basin  for  them  to  take  with  them.  James  Romer,  the  brother  of 
John  Romer,  being  one  of  the  party  of  seven  who  had  slept  the  night  prev- 


742  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

ious  in  a  hay  barrack  near  Chappaqua,  guided  his  little  band  to  the  secluded 
home  of  his  father,  to  which  place  they  brought  Major  Andre  immediately 
after  his  capture.  Whilst  dinner  was  being  prepared  they  discovered  that 
they  had  forgotten  the  pewter  basin,  containing  their  lunch,  in  their  hurry  to 
get  their  captive  away  from  the  public  highway.  John  Romer,  being  the 
youngest,  was  sent  to  obtain  it  from  their  place  of  concealment  by  the  noted 
tulip  tree  standing  on  the  east  side  of  the  lower  highway,  some  six  hundred  feet 
west  of  the  upper  road,  where  the  other  party  of  four  had  stationed  them- 
selves. Upon  his  return  with  the  basin  he  accompanied  the  captors,  with 
their  prisoner,  across  the  fields  to  the  nearest  military  post,  where  a  detach- 
ment of  Shelden's  dragoons  were  stationed,  under  command  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Jameson.  John  Romer,  together  with  the  seven  captors,  were  all 
members  of  the  local  militia  regiment,  five  companies  of  which,  having  com- 
pleted some  few  weeks  previous  to  Andre's  capture  one  year's  active  service, 
desired  to  re-enlist  under  the  urgent  call  for  volunteers,  but  were  detained  on 
account  of  the  inability  of  the  state  authorities  to  provide  them  sufficient  pay 
to  support  their  families  for  a  period  of  three  months.  The  depression  of 
the  Continental  currency  was  finally  overcome  by  the  state  substitutingtwelve 
bushels  of  wheat  in  lieu  of  money  to  each  volunteer  for  that  period  of  time. 
After  the  Revolution,  John  Romer  married  Leah,  only  daughter  of 
Lieutenant  Cornelius  Van  Tassel,  of  Colonel  Drake's  regiment.  In  1793 
they  erected  upon  the  site  of  Liutenant  Van  Tassel's  former  residence,  that 
was  burned  by  the  British  in  November,  1777,  the  noted  stone  and  frame 
dwelling  that  was  used  for  more  than  fifty  years  as  the  town  house  and  place 
for  holding  all  the  elections  and  public  meetings  of  the  town  of  Greenburg. 
The  annual  muster  of  the  militia  for  a  large  portion  of  the  county  was  held 
here;  also  the  meetings  of  Solomon's  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons 
that  was  organized  at  Mount  Pleasant,  now  known  as  Pleasantville,  after  the 
Revolution.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  made  a  member  in  the  year 
1800,  after  which  the  lodge  was  removed  to  White  Plains,  and  from  there  to 
the  Lieutenant  Van  Tassel  house  in  Greenburg.  It  was  here,  in  1805,  that 
the  Hon.  Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  who  became  governor  of  the  state,  and 
afterward  vice-president  of  the  United  States,  was  first  admitted  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  During  Governor  Tompkins'  administration,  Captain 
Romer  took  an  active  part  in  organizing  the  various  companies  and  battalions 
of  militia  required  to  complete  the  various  quotas  of  troops  called  by  several 
acts  of  congress,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  engage  in  repairing  Fort  Wash- 
ington, on  the  upper  end  of  the  city  of  New  York.  He  took  a  very  active 
part  in  all  public  matters,  and  was  one  of  the  twenty-four  prominent  citizens 
of  Westchester  county  who  signed  the  celebrated  certificate  given  to  Isaac 
Van  Wart,   one  of  the  captors  of   Major  Andre,  whose  character  had  been 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  743 

fiercely  assailed  in  the  debate  in  congress  upon  the  bill  to  increase  the  pen- 
sion of  John  Paulding,  one  of  his  associates  in  that  memorable  event.  At 
the  dedication  of  the  monument  to  the  captors  of  Major  Andre  at  Tarrytown,. 
in  1853,  Captain  John  Romer  was  the  guest  of  honor,  and  the  only  one  then 
living  who  had  seen  Major  Andre  in  person.  He  designated  for  the  commit- 
tee the  correct  place  of  capture  upon  the  east  side  of  the  highway.  The 
owner  of  the  property  objecting  to  locating  it  upon  the  place  designated,  the 
committee  of  arrangements  accepted  the  offer  of  a  piece  of  land  on  the  west 
side  of  the  highway,  some  distance  south  of  the  actual  place  of  capture, 
which  was  generously  deeded  to  them  by  Mr.  Taylor,  formerly  a  slave,  who 
had  purchased  his  freedom  from  bondage. 

Captain  John  Romer  died  at  his  old  homestead  on  the  27th  of  May, 
1855,  ^iid  was  buried  by  Solomon's  Lodge  in  the  church-yard  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  of  Greenburg,  near  the  monument  of  his  life-long  friend,  Isaac 
Van  Wart.  All  the  local  traditions  and  reports  concerning  him  indicate  that 
be  was  kind,  honest  and  upright,  a  good  citizen  and  a  pleasant  neighbor, 
possessing  during  life  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.  The  fact 
that  he  was  a  soldier  at  sixteen,  and  again  at  the  age  of  forty-eight,  serving  his 
country  at  the  two  extremes  of  life,  as  it  were,  is  a  sufficient  indication  that  in 
patriotism  he  was  a  worthy  representative  of  the  Westchester  county  yeo- 
men, whose  fidelity,  perseverance  and  endurance  did  so  much  for  the  cause 
of  American  liberty  in  the  days  that  tried  men's  souls. 


ARTHUR  W.   NUGENT. 


Lieutenant  Arthur  Wellesley  Nugent  is  a  son  of  Richard  and  Elizabeth- 
(Scarner)  Nugent  and  was  born  at  Yonkers,  New  York,  September  11,  1863. 
He  was  one  of  ten  brothers,  five  of  whom  are  living,  and  more  than  one  of 
whom  possessed  a  patriotic  and  a  military  spirit  which  impelled  them  to 
endure  hardship  and  risk  life  in  the  service  of  their  country.  Frederick  was 
killed  at  Kobe,  Japan,  while  with  Admiral  Proctor  in  a  United  States  flag- 
ship. He  was  a  graduate  of  the  school-ship  St.  Mary  and  a  promising  young 
officer  in  the  naval  and  merchant-marine  service.  Charles  served  during  the 
recent  Spanish-American  war  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  B,  Two  Hun- 
dred and  Third  Regiment.  Robert  was  a  member  of  Company  D,  Sixteenth 
Battalion,  and  participated  in  its  operations  at  Verplanke  Point,  Peekskill, 
and  other  localities. 

Arthur  Wellesley  Nugent  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Separate  Company,  Na- 
tional Guard  of  New  York,  July  7,  1885;  was  warranted  corporal  December  24, 
1889;  was  warranted  sergeant  January  20,  1894,  and  commissioned  second 
lieutenant  of  the  National  Guard  of  New  York  March  4,  1898,  by  Governor 


744  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Black.  On  July  6th  following  Governor  Black  commissioned  him  first  lieu- 
tenant in  the  Two  Hundred  and  Second  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
he  was  assigned  to  duty  with  Company  G,  and  did  gallant  service  in  the 
Spanish-American  war.  He  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States  with  his  regiment  at  Buffalo,  July  21,  and  was  stationed  successively 
at  Camp  Black,  Long  Island,  Camp  Meade,  at  Middletown,  Pennsylvania, 
and  Camp  Haskell,  at  Athens,  Georgia.  Thence  the  regiment  went  to 
Savannah,  Georgia,  and  from  Savannah,  by  transports,  to  Havana,  Cuba. 
For  a  month  it  was  stationed  at  Pinar  del  Rio,  in  the  province  of  the  same 
name,  later,  with  headquarters  at  Guanajay,  it  did  garrison  and  provost  duty 
at  different  points.  He  subsequently  saw  varying  service  elsewhere  in  Cuba 
and  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  April  15,  1899,  at  Savannah,  Georgia, 
and  returned  home.  He  is  still  a  member  of  the  Fourth  Separate  Company, 
— Company  A,  First  Regiment,  N.  G.  N.  Y. 

Lieutenant  Nugent  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Yonkers,  and 
under  private  tutors,  and  while  yet  quite  young  engaged  in  electrical  contract- 
ing. He  secured  many  large  contracts  to  fit  up  public  and  private  buildings 
with  electrical  apparatus  and  conveniences,  at  times  employed  twenty-five  to 
thirty  men,  aad  in  a  general  way  won  a  flattering  success. 

Politically,  Lieutenant  Nugent  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party  and 
personally  he  is  so  popular  that  it  would  be  hard  for  him  to  keep  out  of 
office  entirely.  He  has  served  one  term  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  alder- 
men of  Yonkers,  and  has  done  good  work  as  chairman  of  the  committee  on 
laws  and  ordinances  and  as  a  member  of  other  important  committees.  He 
is  a  prominent  Mason  and  Odd  Fellow  and  a  member  of  Shaffner  Encamp- 
ment and  one  of  its  past  chief  patriarchs.  In  Rising  Star  Lodge,  A.  F.  & 
A. ,  M.  and  in  Yonkers  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  he  is  a  faithful  and  efficient  worker. 

The  Lieutenant  was  married  March  22,  1888,  to  Frances  Ewing,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  John  Ewing,  who  will  be  remembered  as  a  prominent  citizen 
and  a  landscape-gardener  of  artistic.accomplishments.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren, named  Edith  A.,  Helen  and  Arthur  Wellesley  Nugent,  Jr. 


ISAAC  PURDY. 


Mr.  Purdy  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  favorably  known  citizens  of  West- 
chester county,  having  long  been  prominently  identified  with  the  business 
interests  of  his  locality  and  recently  the  most  popular  member  of  the  county 
board  of  supervisors.  Of  great  business  and  executive  ability  and  broad 
resources,  he  has  attained  a  prominent  place  among  the  substantial  citizens 
of  his  part  of  the  county,  with  Purdy  Station,  named  in  honor  of  his  father, 
as  his  residence   and   the  center  of  his  operations.      He  has  won  success  by 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  745 

his  well  directed,  energetic  efforts,  and  the  prosperity  that  has  come  to  him 
is  certainly  well  deserved. 

Mr.  Purdy  was  born  November  3,  1852,  and  is  a  representative  of  an 
old  and  well-known  family,  being  able  to  trace  his  ancestry  back  for  many 
generations.  His  great-grandfather,  Joseph  Purdy,  was  born  September  5, 
1744,  and  married  Letitia  Guile.  Their  son  Isaac,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  January  6,  1773,  and  on  reaching  man's  estate  wedded 
Miss  Lydia  Clift,  by  whom  he  had  five  children, — Samuel  C,  Sallie  Ann, 
Roxanna,  Clarissa  and  Lydia.  After  her  death  he  married  Anna  Hart,  and 
by  this  marriage  there  were  two  children, — Isaac  Hart  and  Mary  Eliza.  For 
his  third  wife  Mr.  Purdy  was  united  in  marriage  with  Jane  Grant,  and  to 
them  were  born  three  daughters, — Jane,  Letitia  and  Christina.  Mr.  Purdy 
filled  the  office  of  supervisor  from  1823  to  1827. 

Isaac  H.  Purdy,  our  subject's  father,  was  born  June  19,  1813,  and  in 
1839  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  W.  Lyon,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Lyon,  a  representative  of  an  old  and  honored  family,  and  his  wife,  Mary 
(Totten)  Lyon,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Gilbert  Totten.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Purdy 
became  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Elizabeth  Lyon,  Mary,  Anna 
Hart,  Isaac  and  Thomas  Lyon.  The  father,  who  was  a  Democrat  in  polit- 
ical sentiment,  and  highly  respected  as  a  citizen  of  this  county,  died  in  1891 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  The  widowed  mothea:  now  finds  a  pleas- 
ant home  with  our  subject.  Mr.  Purdy  was  the  supervisor  of  his  township 
from  1846  to  1850  and  from  1856  to  1857. 

Reared  in  Westchester  county,  Isaac  Purdy  obtained  his  education  in  its 
public  schools,  and  since  leaving  the  school-room  has  devoted  his  attention 
to  business  pursuits.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  milling  business  and  other 
enterprises,  and  in  all  he  has  met  with  marked  success. 

Like  his  father,  he  gives  his  political  support  to  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Democratic  party,  and  he  is  now  serving  most  creditably  as  a  county 
supervisor.  Both  in  his  party  and  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors, 
he  is  a  leader,  and  has  become  one  of  the  best  and  most  favorably  known 
men  in  the  county.  His  election  as  a  Democrat  to  the  board  of  supervisors 
is  particularly  significant  of  his  popularity  in  both  the  great  parties,  as  he  is 
thus  elected  in  a  county  that  has  heretofore  been  represented  by  a  long  line 
of  Republican  supervisors,  and  his  district,  North  Salem  township,  has  always 
been  the  strongest  Republican  locality  in  the  county.  It  is  only  his  personal 
popularity  that  has  drawn  votes  so  heavily  from  both  parties.  His  re-election 
in  1898  is  a  testimonial  to  the  fidelity  to  all  the  duties  of  his  office.  At  the 
time  he  was  first  elected  he  was  acting  as  school  trustee,  and  an  attempt  was 
made  in  the  courts  to  oust  him  from  the  supervisorship.  He  served  during 
thesessi  ons  of   1896-7,  and  was  placed  on  many  important  committees  by 


746  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

Gideon  W.  Davenport,  who  was  then  chairman  of  the  board,  but  was  debarred 
from  acting  at  the  opening  sessions  of  the  board  in  1897-8  by  a  decision  of 
the  courts,  which  held  that  the  holding  of  the  office  of  school  trustee  made 
him  ineligible  for  election  as  supervisor.  The  town  officers  of  his  county, 
when  all  Republican,  appointed  Mr.  Purdy  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the 
decision  of  the  courts,  and  his  re-election  later  approved  this  appointment, 
and  he  received  the  largest  majority  ever  given  a  Democrat  in  North  Salem 
township,  carrying  with  him  into  office  the  full  Democratic  ticket  for  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  the  town.  Chauncey  Secor,  chairman  of  the  board  at 
that  time,  honored  him  with  appointment  on  three  of  the  most  significant 
committees,  namely,  those  on  the  county  treasurer,  the  auditing  of  the  sheriff's 
bills  (of  which  he  was  appointed  chairman),  and  also  a  special  committee  to 
prepare  plans  for  the  erection  of  an  addition  to  the  court-house,  of  which 
also  he  was  chairman.  In  the  auditing  of  the  sheriff's  bills  he  was  brought 
in  contact  with  a  wide  range  of  business,  which  involved  the  auditing  of  bills 
aggregating  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  During  the  campaigns 
the  public  press  gave  uniform  testimony  establishing  his  high  moral  character, 
business  efficiency  and  official  integrity. 


JOSEPH  H.   LEWIS. 


The  healthy  growth  and  development  of  a  community  depends  largely 
upon  its  real-estate  dealers,  who  exercise  a  wide  influence  in  the  settlement 
of  a  locality.  It  largely  lies  in  their  power  to  determine  the  class  of  people 
that  shall  become  residents  of  a  given  district,  the  property  of  which  they 
handle,  and  thus  their  labors  may  prove  of  great  benefit  or  detriment.  Joseph 
H.  Lewis,  one  of  the  most  enterprising  citizens  of  "White  Plains,  in  his 
province  as  a  leading  real-estate  dealer,  has  done  effective  work  for  the 
advancement  and  upbuilding  of  the  city,  and  belongs  to  that  class  of  repre- 
sentative Americans  who  while  securing  individual  prosperity  also  contribute 
materially  to  the  public  good.  His  business  reputation  is  unassailable,  his 
honorable  methods  and  correct  policy  winning  him  the  confidence  and  regard 
of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 

Mr.  Lewis  was  born  in  Williamsbutg,  Hampshire  county,  Massachusetts, 
July  31,  1835,  a  son  of  Joseph  J.  and  Mary  R.  (Rhoades)  Lewis.  Prior  to 
the  Revolutionary  war  the  family  was  founded  in  Massachusetts,  and  Joseph 
Lewis,  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  loyally  aided  in  the  struggle  for 
independence,  taking  part  in  the  ever  memorable  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  The 
grandfather,  also  named  Joseph,  was  born  in  the  Bay  state,  but  the  father 
of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Middletown,  Connecticut,  his  birth  occurring 
therein  18 10.      He  married   Miss  Rhoades,  who  was  born  in   Chesterfield, 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  747^ 

Massachusetts,  in  1811,  a  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Mary  (Flower)  Rhoades, 
who  also  were  natives  of  Chesterfield.  In  1840  Joseph  J.  Lewis  removed- 
with  his  family  to  Westchester  county,  New  York,  settling  in  the  village  of 
Sing  Sing,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  saddlery  hardware  for 
several  years.  He  died  in  1867,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  Sing  Sing, 
December  27,   1884. 

Joseph  H.  Lewis,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  was  only  a  small 
boy  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Westchester  county.  He  obtained  his- 
elementary  education  in  Sing  Sing  and  for  several  years  attended  a  school  at 
Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  Peekskill  Academy. 
After  spending  two  years  in  New  York  city  he  went  to  Columbus,  Ohio, 
where  for  four  years  he  was  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  saddlery  hard- 
ware for  Peter  Hayden.  Later  he  spent  several  years  in  the  manufacture  of 
malleable  iron,  in  Newark,  New  Jersey.  In  1867  he  came  to  White  Plains- 
and  was  appointed  by  J.  Malcolm  Smith  to  the  position  of  deputy  county 
clerk,  in  which  office  he  continued  by  reappointment  for  fifteen  years,  dis- 
charging his  duties  in  a  most  acceptable  and  faithful  manner.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  real-estate  business  and  has 
since  handled  both  city  and  farm  property,  meeting  with  excellent  success  in 
his  endeavors. 

On  the. 9th  of  December,  1863,  Mr.  Lewis  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Deborah  A.  Newman,  youngest  daughter  of  Ebenezer  M.  and  Amanda 
J.  (CombesJ  Newman.  She  was  born  in  the  town  of  Mount  Pleasant,  West- 
chester"county,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  and  prominent  fam- 
ilies of  this  locality.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  have  three  children, —  two  sons 
and  one  daughter,  —  namely:  Joseph  H.,  Mary  Amanda  and  Frank  Tilford. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lewis  is  a  Democrat,  and  the  religious  faith  of 
himself  and  wife  is  in  accord  with  the  teachings  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
church.  They  hold  membership  in  the  church  of  that  denomination  at  Elms- 
ford,  and  Mr.  Lewis  is  serving  as  one  of  its  deacons.  Their  beautiful  home, 
Woodside,  is  one  of  the  attractive  residences  of  White  Plains,  and  for  it& 
hospitality  it  is  widely  celebrated. 


THE  WILDEY  FAMILY. 


The  Wildey  family,  prominent  in  Westchester  county  in  early  days,  is 
descended  from  Thomas  Wildey,  who  probably  came  here  from  Mamaro- 
neck,  though  at  a  still  earlier  date,  1698,  the  names  of  Wilde  and  Elizabeth, 
his  wife,  appear  in  the  census  of  Flushing,  Long  Island.  Very  probably  they 
were  the  parents  of  Thomas  Wildey,  of  PhiHpse  manor,  who  was  the  great- 
grandfather of  Mrs.  Storm,  the  wife  of  Captain  John  I.  Storm,  whose  sketch. 


748  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

appears  in  this  work.  His  will,  dated  October  7,  1776,  showed  him  to  be 
possessed  of  a  considerable  estate.  After  the  Revolution  his  farm,  of  two 
hundred  and  sixty-two  acres,  comprising  the  present  Benedict-Cobb  estate 
and  other  lands  adjoining,  came  into  possession  of  his  sons-in-law,  Colonel 
Hammond  and  Captain  George  Comb,  who  were  his  executors.  He  left  the 
following  children:  Griffin,  Joseph,  Jacob,  Caleb,  Thomas,  John,  Nencia 
(wife  of  Colonel  Hammond),  Elizabeth  (wife  of  Captain  Comb)  and  Sarah. 
Of  these,  Thomas  Wildey,  Jr.  (as  the  name  is  now  spelled),  had  a  son  Will- 
iam, who  was  the  father  of  William  H.  Wildey,  now  of  Peekskill. 

Caleb  Wildey,  son  of  Thomas,  Sr. ,  lived  on  the  property  at  the  corner 
of  Wildey  street  and  Broadway  in  Tarrytown.  He  married  Deborah  McKeel, 
and  among  their  children  was  Pierre,  who  wedded  Mary  Ann  Mandeville,  and 
was  the  father  of  Pierre  W.  Wildey. ,  Esq. ,  of  New  York.  The  other  sons  of 
Caleb  Wildey,  Sr. ,  were  Caleb,  Jr.,  William  A.  and  Elisha.  A  daughter 
married  the  late  Henry  L.  Haight,  who  was  engaged  in  business  with  his 
brother-in-law,  Pierre  Wildey,  at  Philipse  manor,  for  many  years,  being  well 
known  and  influential  members  of  the  old  Point  Dock  Regency.  Another 
daughter,  Sarah,  married  Jasper  Odell  and  was  the  mother  of  John  J.  Odell, 
of  Tarrytown. 


JOHN  C.  L.  HAMILTON. 


John  Cornelius  Leon  Hamilton,  the  youngest  son  of  John  C.  A.  Hamil- 
ton and  Angeline,  nee  Rdmer,  was  born  in  Galena,  Illinois,  November  29, 
1842,  and  is  a  direct  descendant  of  General  Alexander  Hamilton,  and  Eliza- 
beth, 7iee  Schuyler,  on  his  paternal  side.  Captain  John  Romer,  his  grand- 
father, and  Lieutenant  Cornelius  Van  Tassel,  both  of  the  Revolution,  were 
his  maternal  ancestors.  He  was  educated  in  the  pubhc  and  private  schools 
of  the  town  of  Greenburg,  Westchester  county.  New  York. 

After  completing  a  three-years  course  of  study  at  the  noted  Paulding 
Institute  at  Tarrytown,  he  was  sent  to  Rutgers  College,  New  Jersey,  and 
while  engaged  in  his  studies  there  the  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  volun- 
teers to  uphold  the  flag  was  made  by  the  president,  Abraham  Lincoln,  under 
which  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  C,  Fifth  New  York  Volunteers 
(Duryee's  Zouaves),  and  participated  with  that  heroic  regiment  in  the  first 
real  battle  of  the  rebellion,  at  Big  Bethel,  Virginia.  On  the  arrival  of  a  por- 
tion of  the  regiment  at  Baltimore  from  a  protracted  march  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  down  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  in  December,  1861,  he 
was  detailed  as  private  secretary  to  the  brigade  commander,  and  while  acting 
as  such  revised  and  corrected  for  publication  a  voluminous  manuscript  upon 
the  "Art  of  War,"  and  at  the  same  time  continued  the  study  of  military 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  749 

engineering,  under  the  supervision  of  Colonel  Gouverneur  K.  Warren.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  Third  New  York  Artillery,  early  in  1862,  he  was  com- 
missioned a  second  lieutenant  and  joined  Company  G  of  that  regiment,  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Woodbury,  near  Bull  Run,  Virginia,  and  was  immediately 
detailed  to  drill  and  instruct  the  officers  in  infantry  and  artillery  practice  at 
Fort  Cochran,  that  state.  The  regiment  having  been  ordered  to  reinforce 
General  Burnside's  expedition  in  North  Carolina,  Lieutenant  Hamilton,  imme- 
diately after  its  arrival  at  New  Berne,  that  state,  was  detached  by  orders  of 
Generals  John  G.  Foster  and  Burnside  from  his  regiment  and  assigned  to  the 
engineer  corps.  His  services  in  this  particular  line  of  duty  were  of  the  most 
arduous  kind.  Several  thousands  of  unskilled  contrabands  were  employed 
that  required  constant  supervision.  The  construction  of  forts,  redoubts  and 
breast-works,  and  strengthening  of  strategic  points,  permitting  of  no  rest  or 
relief  from  the  extreme  heat  and  enervating  climate. 

Fort  Macon,  distant  forty-two  miles  from  New  Berne,  having  been  cap- 
tured, Lieutenant  Hamilton  was  directed  to  open  an  air  line  through  the 
woods  and  swamps  and  construct  observatories  for  the  use  of  the  signal  corps 
to  that  point.  When  this  important  work  was  completed  he  was  carried  to 
the  hospital,  where  the  ravages  of  typhoid  and  malarial  fever  soon  reduced 
him  to  a  mere  skeleton,  so  that  he  weighed  but  eighty-five  pounds.  His 
friends  gave  up  all  hope,  and  the  chaplain  had  taken  note  of  the  last  requests 
to  family  and  friends.  The  turning  point  toward  recovery  came  rapidly, 
however,  and  when  application  for  a  leave  of  absence  for  thirty  days  was 
made  it  was  returned  endorsed,  "  Request  denied:"  the  services  of  this  officer 
were  too  valuable  to  be  spared.  The  attention  of  the  medical  director  of 
the  department  having  been  called  to  the  matter,  that  officer  issued  the 
desired  leave,  and  upon  its  expiration,  September  i,  1862,  orders  from 
Major-General  Foster  directed  Lieutenant  Hamilton  to  proceed  and  fortify 
Washington,  North  Carolina.  Four  days  after  his  arrival  there  the  enemy 
made  a  fierce  attack  upon  the  small  garrison.  For  several  hours  the  unequal 
hand-to-hand  struggle  continued  in  the  streets  and  severe  losses  occurred 
upon  both  sides.  Lieutenant  Hamilton  upon  this  occasion  displayed  the 
utmost  coolness  and  bravery,  and  although  the  enemy  had  taken  a  large 
number  of  his  men  prisoners  and  captured  four  brass  field  pieces,  the  contest 
was  continued  with  the  fifth  gun  until  he  alone  was  left,  twenty-two  of  his 
command  having  fallen  around  him  before  the  order  to  retreat  was  given! 

After  the  battle  active  work  upon  the  fortifications  was  continued  for 
several  months,  during  which  Mr.  Hamilton  gave  all  his  spare  time,  in  con- 
nection with  Lieutenant  John  J.  Lay  of  the  navy,  in  perfecting  an  experi- 
mental torpedo  vessel,  which,  upon  its  trial,  proved  a  great  success,  and  by 
direction  of  the  secretary  of  the  navy  five  vessels  were  directed   to  be  built 


750  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

after  the  plans  developed.  The  first  constructed  was  sent  to  the  fleet  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Roanoke  river  in  Albemarle  sound,  and  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  Gushing  destroyed  the  iron-clad  ram  Albemarle,  at  Plymouth, 
North  Carolina.  Orders  were  then  issued  assigning  Lieutenant  Hamilton 
chief  engineer  to  Major-General  Hunt,  afterward  the  chief  of  artillery  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  That  officer  gave  him  a  number  of  men  with  instruc- 
tions to  construct  a  fort  upon  Neuse  river,  afterward  known  as  Fort  Heck- 
man,  but,  owing  to  the  large  number  of  men  and  government  supplies  at 
Washington,  North  Carolina,  and  the  urgent  necessity  of  completing  the 
works  at  that  point,  Major-General  Palmer,  commanding  the  department, 
directed  Lieutenant  Hamilton  to  return  there.  On  March  31,  1863,  Major- 
General  Foster  arrived  and  ordered  Lieutenant  Hamilton  to  ascertain 
whether  the  Confederate  forces  of  General  Hill  that  he  expected  would  soon 
attack  the  garrison  had  arrived  with  artillery  at  Red  Hill,  a  Confederate  out- 
post. In  executing  this  order  one  captain  and  five  privates  of  the  Forty- 
fourth  Massachusetts  Volunteers  were  wounded.  The  enemy  had  not  then 
arrived  in  force,  but  did  during  the  night  and  completely  surrounded  the  town. 

At  daylight,  April  i,  they  commenced  an  attack  upon  one  of  our  naval 
vessels,  the  Commodore  Hull,  which  unfortunately  was  aground.  Lieuten- 
ant Hamilton  was  ordered,  with  two  small  rifle  cannons,  to  take  position 
upon  an  exposed  point  on  the  river  and  endeavor  to  draw  the  enemy's  fire 
away  from  the  gunboat,  which  had  been  struck  one  hundred  and  four  times 
and  had  all  her  guns  dismounted.  The  enemy  were  so  intent  upon  sinking 
this  vessel  that  no  attention  was  paid  to  the  guns  on  shore  until  the  gunboat, 
released  from  her  position  by  the  rising  tide,  started  rapidly  away.  Then 
they  turned  their  fourteen  Whitworth  guns  against  the  two,  and  kept  up  a 
constant  fire  until  dark.  General  Foster  directed  that  a  fort  be  constructed 
at  this  exposed  point  during  the  night,  and  siege  guns  mounted.  This  he 
built  and  named  it  Fort  Hamilton,  in  honor  of  its  commander.  It  bore  a 
•conspicuous  part  in  that  memorable  siege  that  lasted  twenty  days. 

Lieutenant  Hamilton's  health  having  become  very  much  impaired,  he 
returned  north,  during  the  draft  riots,  and  took  an  active  part  in  quelling  the 
disturbances  at  Tarrytown,  and  after  a  much  needed  rest  returned  to  the 
front.  By  advice  of  his  physicians  he  resided  for  a  considerable  time  after 
the  close  of  the  Rebellion  in  the  thickly  wooded  pine-tree  sections  of  the 
south.  The  later  years  of  his  life  has  been  spent  in  the  neighborhood  of  his 
boyhood  home.  He  has  contributed  many  interesting  historical  sketches  to 
the  public  press,  and  for  the  past  few  years  has  been  engaged  in  gathering 
material  for  a  history  of  Phillips  Manor. 

At  4:30  A.  M.  on  the  morning  of  September  6,  1862,  Lieutenant  Hamil- 
.ton  became  acquainted  with  a  young  lady  of  Washington,  North  Carolina, 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  751 

who  had  appealed  to  him,  in  the  midst  of  a  fierce  hand-to-hand  conflict,  for 
protection,  some  of  the  opposing  military  forces,  separated  in  the  heat  of 
the  battle  from  their  comrades  without  permission,  having  taken  refuge  upon 
her  premises  and  in  her  dwellings.  This  brief  acquaintance  was  rewarded 
successfully  a  short  time  afterward  when  Lieutenant  Hamilton  appealed  to 
the  young  lady  to  provide  a  home  and  shelter  for  an  aged  slave,  he  having 
been  the  trusted  family  servant  of  the  leading  Confederate  of  all  that  terri- 
tory. This  interview  also  procured  the  use  of  a  warehouse  with  forge  and 
much  needed  temporary  supply  of  coal,  which  contributed  toward  the  con- 
struction of  the  experimental  torpedo  boat,  in  order  to  bridge  over  the  delay 
until  charcoal  kilns  could  be  prepared  and  burned.  These  casual  interviews, 
principally  of  a  formal  business  nature,  were,  however,  destined  to  bring 
about  a  permanent  acquaintance.  Lieutenant  Hamilton's  duties  being  of 
such  an  onerous  character,  requiring  the  use  of  three  horses  during  the  day 
and  much  mental  labor  until  late  at  night,  and  his  health  not  fully  recovered, 
at  length  he  suddenly  succumbed,  and  was  found  in  an  unconscious  state  at 
his  quarters  surrounded  by  his  colored  servants  and  was  taken  to  the  private 
house  of  a  Union  resident,  where  several  days  elapsed  before  signs  of  return- 
ing strength  were  noticed,  the  news  of  which  spread  rapidly  and  soon  caused 
unwisely  the  sick  chamber  to  be  filled  with  many  friends,  one  of  whom, 
quietly  approaching  the  bedside,  presented  two  beautiful  roses,  emblematic 
of  the  colors  of  the  Confederacy,  that  were  destined  never  to  be  separated 
from  those  of  the  American  Union. 

Invitations  announcing  the  marriage  of  Miss  Sarah  F.  Pugh  to  Lieuten- 
ant Hamilton  on  March  3,  1863,  brought  together  at  the  bride's  home  a  large 
gathering  of  army  and  naval  officers,  which  the  garrison  supplemented  by 
turning  out  in  review  and  by  giving  them  a  national  salute  upon  their  arrival 
at  the  principal  fort.  This  compliment  the  bride,  however,  was  called  upon 
to  return  before  the  close  of  the  month,  she  having  worked  night  and  day  in 
preparing  cartridge  bags,  using  her  own  clothing  and  working  when  shot  and 
shell  came  crashing  all  about  and  through  the  very  room  she  was  em- 
ployed in! 

When  the  heat  of  the  strife  had  subsided  preparations  were  made  to 
visit  the  north,  but  scarcely  had  foot  been  set  upon  the  soil  of  the  Excelsior 
state  before  orders  to  report  for  military  duty  in  order  to  quell  the  riots  then 
in  progress  were  given.  Here  again  cartridge  bags  had  to  be  made,  and  the 
military  experience  of  the  bride  and  groom  gave  the  citizens  of  Tarrytown 
their  first  opportunity  to  witness  the  impromptu  manufacture  of  some  very 
dangerous  ammunition,  which  fortunately  did  much  toward  quelHng  the  riots. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  four  sons  and  one  daughter  were  born: 
Frank,  general  superintendent  of  the  department  of  horticulture  in  the  parks 


752  WESTCHESTER   COUNTY. 

of  New  York  city;  Mary  Schuyler  Hamilton,  teacher  at  Pocantico  Hills, 
Westchester  county;  Philip  Lee,  foreman  for  Pierson  &  Company;  Joseph 
T.,  engineer;  and  John  C. ,  at  home. 


JOHN  J.  SLOANE. 

The  successful  conduct  of  an  extensive  business  enterprise  demands 
ability  and  talent  of  no  less  pronounced  order  than  that  of  the  poet,  the 
musician,  the  inventor  or  the  scientist.  Comparatively  few  are  the  men  who 
are  capable  of  handling  mammoth  business  interests.  To  do  this  one  must 
have  great  energy,  keen  discrimination  and  sagacity,  perseverance  and  the 
ability  to  read  and  understand  men.  To  these  innate  qualities  he  must  add 
tact,  courtesy  and  above  all  unquestioned  integrity,  and  then  ma}'  he  hope 
to  stand  among  the  successlul  few.  While  some  of  these  qualities  are  in  a 
measure  the  heritage  of  the  individual  they  are  of  no  consequence  until 
brought  into  the  clear  light  of  the  utilitarian  and  practical  life;  they  grow  by 
exercise,  and  development  comes  through  effort.  It  is  through  the  possession 
and  exercise  of  these  qualities  that  John  J.  Sloane  has  steadily  advanced  to 
the  leading  position  which  he  occupies  in  the  business  circles  of  Yonkers  as 
manager  for  the  American  Wringer  Company. 

He  was  born  in  the  village  of  Cleator,  county  of  Cumberland,  England, 
March  24,  1864,  his  parents  being  Richard  and  Ann  (McCabe)  Sloane.  The 
father  was  a  mining  contractor  in  the  north  of  England,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  society  commonly  known  as  the  Ancient  Order  of  Foresters.  His  wife 
died  May  29,  1891,  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
ten  children:  John  J.,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Susan,  Agnus,  Theresa,  Sarah  J., 
Rose,  Kate  and  Richard.  In  1892  Mr.  Richard  Sloane,  the  father,  came  to 
America. 

John  J.  Sloane  acquired  his  education  in  the  parochial  schools  of  Eng- 
land, and  after  laying  aside  his  text-books  secured  a  position  as  time-keeper 
in  the  mines  of  England,  where  he  was  employed  for  six  years.  He  after- 
ward engaged  in  mining  contracting,  which  he  followed  for  about  twenty 
years,  during  which  time  he  became  thoroughly  famihar  with  the  business  in 
every  detail.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  New 
World,  locating  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  accepted  a  position 
as  clerk  in  a  paint  and  oil  manufactory.  In  1886  he  removed  to  Yonkers, 
but  later  spent  some  time  in  the  south  in  the  employ  of  a  drill  company,  in 
setting  up  their  steam  drills.  Subsequently  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Metropolitan  Manufacturing  Company,  now  the  American  Wringer  Company, 
at  Yonkers,  and  has  since  been  connected  therewith,  having  served  as  mana- 
ger of  the  Yonkers  branch  of  the  business  since   1888.      He  has  built  up  an. 


^f/iJ^f.  P!^(W/^. 


O 


WESTCHESTER   COUNTY.  753 

extensive  trade  in  this  locality,  extending  as  far  north 'as  Albany,  and  now 
employs  forty-five  men  and  nine  horses  and  wagons  in  the  conduct  of  the 
business.  He  has  established  four  branch  stores,  located  at  Newburg,  Pough- 
keepsie,  Kingston  and  Hudson,  doing  an  annual  business  of  over  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  When  Mr.  Sloane  became  manager  the  business  trans- 
acted through  his  department  amounted  to  only  about  thirty  thousand  dol- 
lars per  annum, — a  comparison  of  the  two  figures  plainly  indicating  his 
excellent  management.  He  employs  five  clerks  in  his  office,  his  oversight  of 
the  business  is  continually  resulting  in  an  extension  of  the  trade,  and  he  has. 
made  judicious  investments  of  his  earnings  in  profitable  property,  owning  at 
the  present  time  a  number  of  good  tenement  houses  in  Yonkers. 

On  the  8th  of  November,  1887,  Mr.  Sloane  was  united  in  marriage  to' 
Miss  Margaret  M.  Stafford,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Anderson)  Staf- 
ford, and  to  them  have  been  born  the  following  named  children:  Jane, 
deceased;  Ann;  Richard,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years;  Jennie  and  John 
Joseph.  The  family  are  communicants  of  St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic 
church.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Sloane  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  and  on 
various  occasions  has  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  conventions  of  his  party. 
In  189,8,  at  the  Democratic  county  convention,  he  was  chosen  as  their  can- 
didate for  the  assembly,  his  opponent  on  the  Republican  ticket  being  John 
Mulligan,  a  popular  and  representative  citizen.  Mr.  Sloane  received  a  sub- 
stantial majority  over  his  opponent,  having  run  ahead  of  his  ticket  in  the 
city  of  Yonkers  and  Mount  Vernon  and  several  other  voting  districts.  He 
belongs  to  various  social  and  fraternal  organizations,  joined  Nepera  Tribe,, 
No.  186,  I.  O.  R.  M.,  at  Yonkers,  in  1891;  the  same  evening  was  appointed 
chief  of  the  records;  in  January,  1892,  was  elected  sachem  of  the  tribe;  was 
re-elected  in  1893,  and  again  in  1895.  I"  i893  hs  was  elected  a  delegate  to 
the  state  convention  of  the  order,  in  Binghamton;  in  1894  was  sent  as  a  rep- 
resentative from  the  local  tribe  to  the  convention  in  Rochester;  in  1895  was 
a  delegate  to  New  York  city  and  there  was  elected  great  representative  to. 
the  great  council  of  the  United  States  and  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
committee  on  state  charters,  serving  two  years.  The  same  year  he  received, 
a  handsome  gold  medal  from  the  Nepera  Tribe,  I.  O.  R.  M.,  at  Yonkers,  as. 
a  mark  of  esteem  and  fellowship.  In  1896  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  state 
convention  in  Saratoga,  and  has  attended  three  sessions  of  the  great  con- 
vention of  the  United  States,  held  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  Minneapolis, 
Minnesota,  and  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  respectively.  In  1897  he  was 
elected  to  the  state  council  at  Buffalo,  and  in  1898  was  state  delegate  to- 
Avon  Springs,  where  he  was  re-elected  great  representative  to  the  great 
council  of  the  United  States,  held  in  Indianapolis  in  September,  1898,  and 
at  Washington  in  September,  1899.      He  is  also  an  honored  member  of  the 

48 


754  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Foresters,  of  which  he  has  been  three  times  elected  chief  ranger.  He  was 
also  representative  to  the  state  lodge  in  1897,  and  was  presented  with  a  hand- 
some gold  badge  by  the  Palisade  Lodge,  of  Yonkers,  also  sent  to  the  national 
meeting  of  that  organization.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective 
'Order  of  Elks  of  New  York  city,  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Honor,  was  one 
of  the  organizers  and  a  charter  member  of  the  I'Cnights  of  Columbia,  and  at 
present  is  a  deputy  grand  knight  of  the  order.  For  three  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Irving  Hose  Company.  This  brief  sketch  will  indicate  in  a  meas- 
ure the  great  activity  that  has  characterized  his  life,  making  him  a  leader  in 
business,  fraternal,  political  and  social  circles.  He  is  a  man  of  charming 
personality,  cordial,  genial  and  entirely  approachable,  and  is  very  popular 
-among  an  extended  circle  of  friends. 


JOHN  TATOR. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  of  Holland  descent.  His  grandfather  Tator 
was  born  in  Holland  and  when  a  young  man  came  to  this  country  and  set- 
tled in  Ghent,  Columbia  county,  New  York,  or  rather,  on  a  large  farm  near 
that  place,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  was  a  Democrat,  filled 
a  number  of  local  offices,  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  in  various  ways 
identified  with  the  best  interests  of  the  town  and  county  in  which  he  lived. 
He  was  twice  married  and  had  a  large  family,  his  children  numbering  twen- 
ty-one. His  son  Peter,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in 
Columbia  county.  New  York,  about  the  year  18 14,  and  there  received  a 
common-school  education  and  learned  the  trade  of  mason.  He  resided  at 
Troy,  New  York,  for  twenty  years,  for  twenty  years  lived  at  Ghent,  and  in  1880 
removed  to  Yonkers,  where  he  spent  the  residue  of  his  life  and  where  he  died 
in  1898,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Kittie  Dunspaugh,  and  who  was  of  German  ancestry,  died  in  1893,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  years.  Both  he  and  his  father  before  him  were  devoted  and 
consistent  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  In  his  family  were  three  chil- 
dren, namely:  John,  whose  name  initiates  this  sketch;  Mary,  wife  of  Charles 
Fuller,  city  surveyor  of  Troy,  New  York,  for  twenty-five  years;  and  Adaline. 

John  Tator,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  review,  was  born  in  Hudson, 
Columbia  county.  New  York,  July  12,  1843.  In  his  youth  he  had  the  benefit 
of  the  common  schools  and  was  also  for  a  time  a  high-school  student.  He  left 
school  at  sixteen  and  began  making  his  own  way  in  the  world,  his  first  posi- 
tion being  that  of  water  boy  on  the  New  York  Central  Railroad.  Shortly 
afterward  he  became  a  common  laborer  on  the  road,  and  this  occupation  was 
followed  successively  by  that  of  fireman  for  six  months,  assistant  road- mas- 
ter for  ten  years  and  road-master  for  fifteen  years.      For  a  time  he  was  with 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  755 

the  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad  as  foreman.  He  was  also  road-master 
for  the  New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad.  His  last  railroad  work,  which  occu- 
pied his  time  up  to  September  i,  1898,  was  for  the  New  York  Central  Rail- 
road Company,  from  Forty-second  street  to  Poughkeepsie,  and  in  this  enter- 
prise he  had  in  his  employ  no  less  than  eight  hundred  men  engaged  in  con- 
struction work.  He  now  has  under  consideration  a  proposition  to  go  to 
Porto  Rico  in  the  employ  of  a  railroad  syndicate.  His  residence  is  at 
Yonkers,  Westchester  county,  where  he.  has  business  interests,  owning  here 
a  boarding  and  livery  stable,  at  44  to  46  School  street,  and  having  succeeded 
Mr.  C.  E.  O'Dell  in  this  business. 

Mr.  Tator  is  a  public-spirited  and  enterprising  man,  is  well  posted  in 
matters  of  public  interest,  and  gives  his  support  to  any  and  all  movements 
he  believes  intended  for  the  public  good.  Formerly  he  was  a  Democrat,  but 
now  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd    Fellows. 

February  28,  1864,  Mr.  Tator  was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  Cipperly, 
daughter  of  John  and  Hannah  (Hayner)  Cipperly,  and  they  have  a  family  of 
seven  children,  namely:  Frederick,  who  married  Martha  Hemingway; 
Cora;  Grace,  the  wife  of  Roswell  Jacobus;  Hattie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
Brockmier;  Edna,  wife  of  Ferris  Montgomery;  and  Kittie  and  Arthur,  who 
still  remain  at  the  parental  home.  The  family  are  adherents  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church. 

GEORGE  FRAZIER. 

This  well  known  citizen  of  Yonkers,  New  York,  is  noted  for  his  fine 
physique  and  his  athletic  powers.  The  family  from  which  he  comes  was 
distinguished  for  the  same  qualities,  and  his  sons  also  are  noted  athletes. 
The  history  of  his  life  is  of  interest  in  this  connection. 

George  Frazier  was  born  in  county  Monaghan,  Ireland,  August  i,  1833, 
son  of  Isaiah  and  Hannah  (Anderson)  Frazier.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
Mr.  Frazier  was  a  native  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and  was  a  man  of  great 
strength  and  size,  being  six  feet,  five  and  a  half  inches  in  height  and  weigh- 
ing two  hundred  and  eighty  pounds.  He  was  in  early  life  a  candlemaker  and 
later  a  farmer,  being  successful  in  both  occupations.  From  Edinburgh  he 
moved  over  to  Ireland  and  settled  at  the  birthplace  of  our  subject.  His 
wife's  maiden  name  was  Rebecca  McPherson,  and  she  was  beneath  the  aver- 
age in  size.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  daughters  and  three  sons, 
namely:  Richard,  Isaiah,  John,  Rebecca,  Hannah,  Rachel,  Mary  Ann, 
Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Jane,  Margaret,  Catherine,  Mary,  Ellen  and  Ann.  All 
grew  to  adult  age.  Grandfather  Frazier  died  in  1842  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years,  and  grandmother  Frazier  died  two  years  later  at  the  same  age. 


756  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

Isaiah  Frazier,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scot- 
land, and  learned  the  trade  of  chandler,  in  which  business  his  father  was 
there  engaged.  He  came  from  Ireland  to  America  in  1844,  with  his  wife 
and  six  children,  and  located  in  Parry  street,  New  York  city,  where  he 
became  engaged  in  the  lime-burning  business.  Subsequently  he  removed  with 
his  family  to  Norwich,  Connecticut,  to  take  charge  of  three  large  lime-kilns, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  resided  with  his  son,  George,  at  Yonkers, 
New  York.  He,  too,  was  a  man  of  large  proportions  and  great  strength. 
He  was  a  Republican,  an  Orangeman  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. Religiously  he  was  a  Presbyterian,  a  zealous  and  active  member  of 
that  church.  In  his  family  were  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  viz. :  John, 
deceased,  was  a  contractor  in  New  York  city;  Jane,  widow  of  James  Cannon, 
deceased;  Margaret,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  George,  whose 
name  introduces  this  sketch;  Isaiah,  deceased;  and  Hannah,  widow  of  Will- 
iam Cunningham,  deceased.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  at  the  age  of 
forty-five  years  and  the  father  lived  to  be  ninety-one. 

George  Frazier,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  review,  was  a  small  boy 
at  the  time  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  this  country,  and  his  education 
was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  New  York  city  and  night  school  at  Nor- 
wich, Connecticut.  Following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and  grandfather, 
he  learned  the  trade  of  soap  and  candle. making,  and  from  his  father  learned 
a  secret  and  valuable  process  of  clarifying  the  tallow.  For  some  time  he 
was  in  business  at  Norwich,  and  became  widely  known  for  his  superior  make 
of  candles.  He  subsequently  learned  the  stone-cutting  and  flagging  trade, 
in  New  York  city,  which  he  followed  as  a  journeyman  for  several  years  and 
then  engaged  in  taking  contracts  for  stone  work,  paving,  flagging,  etc.,  which 
he  has  followed  ever  since.  He  has  carried  on  a  general  contracting  busi- 
ness, including  the  erecting  of  buildings,  street,  bridge  and  dock  work  and 
yacht  building.  He  built  the  yacht  Montana  Jack  for  his  son,  which  won 
the  pennant  in  three  successive  races  in  one  season.  His  contracting  busi- 
ness affords  employment  for  no  less  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  he 
has  had  at  one  time  as  many  as  sixty-five  brown-stone  cutters.  His  con- 
tracts have  included  some  of  the  heaviest  street  work  in  the.  city  of  Yonkers, 
among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  greater  part  of  Main  street,  and  Nepper- 
han  avenue  from  Yonkers  to  the  old  village  Hmits.  He  built  the  fronts  to- 
the  Yonkers  Savings  Bank  and  the  Westminster  Presbyterian  church.  He 
also  built  the  Lawrence  dock,  which  he  owned  and  which  he  sold  to  William 
Frederick  Lawrence.  From  time  to  time  he  has  invested  in  real  estate  and 
has  extensive  realty  holdings. 

Politically,   Mr.    Frazier  is  a  Republican.      He   cast   his   first   vote   for 
President  Lincoln  and  has  ever  since  been  in  harmony  with  the  principles- 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY.  757 

advocated  by  this  party.  Fraternally,  he  is  identified  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  maintaining  membership  in  Rising  Star  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Nep- 
perhan  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  Yonkers  Commandery,  K.  T. 

Mr.  Frazier  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Yonkers  Curling  Club,  but 
resigned  in  1895  and  started  the  Van  Cortland  Club,  of  which  he  is  a  mem- 
ber at  present.  He  became  a  curler  thirty  years  ago,  and  won  the  title  of 
champion  curler  of  Amer